Heat treatment equipment

Abstract

The heat treatment equipment comprises a furnace tube, an air inlet assembly and a temperature measuring assembly, a substrate to be subjected to a heat treatment process is arranged in the furnace tube, the air inlet assembly comprises an annular air inlet pipe, the annular air inlet pipe is arranged in the furnace tube, and a plurality of air outlets are formed in the circumferential direction of the annular air inlet pipe; the temperature measuring assembly is arranged in the furnace tube and comprises a thermocouple, the working end of the thermocouple faces the inflow direction of the gas, and a heat shielding cover is arranged on the thermocouple. According to the heat treatment equipment disclosed by the utility model, gas can be shunted through the arrangement of the plurality of gas outlets, so that the temperature fluctuation of the furnace tube in the gas inlet process is reduced, the impact on the thermocouple can be reduced, and the temperature fluctuation of the thermocouple is reduced; the arrangement of the heat shield can reduce radiation heat exchange between the thermocouple and the inner wall of the furnace tube, further reduce temperature fluctuation of the thermocouple, and ensure the heat treatment process effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor or photovoltaic processing, and more specifically, to a heat treatment device. Background Art

[0002] Most of the existing heat treatment equipment, such as low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), adopt a single-point gas inlet structure at the furnace mouth. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, 10 is an air inlet flange, and a main air inlet 20 is arranged on the side. When the LPCVD equipment is used for silicon oxide film deposition, a large flow of oxygen needs to be introduced from the main air inlet 20 into the furnace tube to react with the substrate (such as a silicon wafer), and the airflow enters the furnace tube from the inner main air outlet 40. The temperature measuring device 30 (such as a thermocouple) is located above the furnace tube. When a large flow of airflow is introduced, the flow direction of the airflow is shown by the arrow in the figure. After the high-pressure oxygen is ejected from the inner main air outlet 40, the volume expands rapidly in a short time and absorbs the heat from the furnace mouth. Because the gas flow ejected from the main air outlet 40 is large and concentrated, the cold airflow will quickly pass through the temperature measuring device 30, and the temperature measured by the temperature measuring device 30 will drop significantly. Without electrical temperature control intervention, the temperature may drop by 20°C to 30°C in a short period of time. After the electrical temperature control logic is optimized, the temperature drop can be reduced to below 10°C. However, it is also easy to cause temperature overshoot, making it difficult to ensure the stability of the overall temperature during the heat treatment process, resulting in poor heat treatment process effects, such as uneven silicon oxide film coating and other problems.

[0003] Therefore, how to reduce the temperature fluctuation of the heat treatment equipment during the gas intake process, improve the temperature stability, and ensure the heat treatment process effect has become a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved by technical personnel in this field. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the utility model is to provide a heat treatment equipment to reduce the temperature fluctuation during the gas intake process, improve the temperature stability, and ensure the heat treatment process effect.

[0005] In order to achieve the above purpose, the utility model provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A heat treatment device, comprising:

[0007] A furnace tube, wherein a substrate to be subjected to a heat treatment process is arranged in the furnace tube;

[0008] An air intake assembly, the air intake assembly includes an annular air intake pipe, the annular air intake pipe is arranged in the furnace tube, and a plurality of air outlets are opened along the circumference of the annular air intake pipe, so that the gas flowing out through the air outlets flows into the furnace tube to perform a heat treatment process on the substrate;

[0009] The temperature measuring component is arranged in the furnace tube, and comprises a thermocouple, the working end of the thermocouple faces the inflow direction of the gas, and a heat shield is arranged on the thermocouple.

[0010] Optionally, in the above heat treatment equipment, the cross-sectional shape of the annular air inlet pipe is a fan-shaped structure or a circular ring structure.

[0011] Optionally, in the above heat treatment equipment, the air intake assembly includes an air intake main pipe, one end of which is connected to a gas source, and the other end of which is connected to an annular air intake pipe.

[0012] Optionally, in the above-mentioned heat treatment equipment, the air intake main pipe is fixed on the furnace mouth flange of the furnace tube, and the furnace mouth flange is provided with a slot for inserting the annular air intake pipe and a socket matching the plug on the annular air intake pipe, so that the annular air intake pipe is connected with the air intake main pipe.

[0013] Optionally, in the above heat treatment equipment, the annular air inlet pipe is fixed to the furnace mouth flange of the furnace tube through a fixing member.

[0014] Optionally, in the above heat treatment equipment, at least one annular air inlet pipe is included, and each annular air inlet pipe is connected to the air inlet main pipe.

[0015] Optionally, in the above heat treatment equipment, the shape of the gas outlet includes at least one of elliptical, circular or polygonal.

[0016] Optionally, in the above heat treatment equipment, at least one layer of heat shield is included, and each layer of heat shield is sequentially sleeved on the working end of the thermocouple.

[0017] Optionally, in the above heat treatment equipment, the heat shield is made of a material including stainless steel, nickel-based alloy, quartz, silicon carbide or alumina ceramics.

[0018] Optionally, in the above heat treatment equipment, the materials of each layer of heat shield are the same or different.

[0019] Optionally, the heat treatment equipment is LPCVD equipment or PECVD.

[0020] It can be seen from the above technical scheme that the heat treatment equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model, the multiple air outlets arranged along the circumference of the annular air inlet pipe can divert the gas entering the furnace tube, can disperse the gas into the furnace tube, reduce the fluctuation of the furnace tube temperature during the gas intake process, and can improve the uniformity of the gas distribution in the furnace tube, can improve the heat treatment process effect, and at the same time can reduce the impact on the thermocouple and reduce the temperature fluctuation of the thermocouple; the setting of the heat shield can reduce the radiation heat exchange between the thermocouple and the inner wall of the furnace tube, further reduce the temperature fluctuation of the thermocouple, improve the accuracy and stability of the thermocouple temperature measurement, improve the temperature measurement accuracy of the thermocouple, and ensure the heat treatment process effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the air intake assembly of the heat treatment equipment in the prior art Figure 1 ;

[0023] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the air intake assembly of the heat treatment equipment in the prior art Figure 2 ;

[0024] Figure 3 The structure of the heat treatment equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model is shown in FIG. Figure 1 ;

[0025] Figure 4 The structure of the heat treatment equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model is shown in FIG. Figure 2 ;

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the connection between the air intake assembly and the furnace port flange of the heat treatment equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the cooperation between the air intake assembly and the furnace mouth flange of the heat treatment equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of

[0029] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of adding a heat shield to a thermocouple of a heat treatment device disclosed in an embodiment of the utility model.

[0030] Among them, 10 is the air inlet flange, 20 is the main air inlet, 30 is the temperature measuring device, and 40 is the main air outlet;

[0031] 100 is a furnace tube, 110 is a furnace flange, and 111 is a socket;

[0032] 200 is an air intake assembly, 210 is an annular air intake pipe, 211 is an air outlet, and 220 is an air intake main pipe;

[0033] 300 is a thermocouple;

[0034] 400 is a heat shield, 410 is a first heat shield, and 420 is a second heat shield;

[0035] 500 is a fixing part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The core of the utility model is to disclose a heat treatment equipment to reduce the temperature fluctuation during the gas intake process, improve the temperature stability, and ensure the heat treatment process effect.

[0037] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0038] like Figure 3-Figure 4 As shown, an embodiment of the utility model discloses a heat treatment device, including a furnace tube 100, an air intake component 200 and a temperature measurement component.

[0039] The furnace tube 100 is provided with a substrate to be subjected to a heat treatment process. The air intake assembly 200 includes an annular air intake pipe 210, which is provided in the furnace tube 100, and a plurality of air outlets 211 are provided along the circumference of the annular air intake pipe 210. The plurality of air outlets 211 can be arranged evenly or unevenly, preferably evenly, so that the gas flowing out through the air outlet 211 is split and dispersed into a plurality of uniform small-flow air flows, so that the gas can enter the furnace tube 100 from multiple directions, reducing the influence of the gas intake on the temperature in the furnace tube 100, thereby ensuring the heat treatment process effect of the gas on the substrate, such as ensuring the uniformity of the coating, improving the quality of the film, etc. It should be noted that the annular air intake pipe 210 can be provided at the furnace mouth, or at a position away from the furnace mouth in the furnace tube 100. The type of the air outlet 211 can be a hole, or a gap, preferably a hole. The shape of the air outlet 211 may be elliptical, circular, polygonal, or other shapes. The specific shape is not limited, and the preferred shape is circular.

[0040] The temperature measuring assembly is arranged in the furnace tube 100, and the temperature measuring assembly includes a thermocouple 300, and the working end of the thermocouple 300 faces the inflow direction of the gas. In order to improve the accuracy of the temperature measurement of the thermocouple 300, a heat shield 400 is arranged on the thermocouple 300. For the thermocouple 300 without the heat shield 400, when the gas is introduced into the furnace tube 100, the low-temperature airflow transfers heat to the thermocouple 300 in a convection manner, and the thermocouple 300 transfers heat to the inner wall of the furnace tube 100 in a radiation manner. When the convection heat transfer of the thermocouple 300 is equal to its radiation heat transfer, the temperature of the thermocouple 300 no longer changes. This is the indicated temperature of the thermocouple, which is different from the actual temperature, resulting in a large measurement error. The setting of the heat shield 400 can reduce the radiation heat exchange between the thermocouple 300 and the wall of the furnace tube 100, thereby improving the measurement accuracy and ensuring the accuracy and stability of the temperature measurement. At the same time, the setting of the annular air inlet pipe 210 allows several uniform small-flow airflows to be uniformly heated after entering the furnace tube 100 (compared to the large-flow airflow in the prior art), and can reduce the temperature fluctuation of the thermocouple 300 when passing through the thermocouple 300.

[0041] The heat treatment equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model, the multiple gas outlets 211 arranged along the circumference of the annular air inlet pipe 210 can divert the gas entering the furnace tube 100, can disperse the gas into the furnace tube 100, reduce the influence of the gas intake on the temperature of the furnace tube 100, and can improve the uniformity of the gas distribution in the furnace tube 100, can improve the heat treatment process effect, and at the same time can reduce the impact on the thermocouple 300, reduce the temperature fluctuation of the thermocouple 300; the setting of the heat shield 400 can reduce the radiation heat exchange between the thermocouple 300 and the inner wall of the furnace tube 100, further reduce the temperature fluctuation of the thermocouple 300, improve the accuracy and stability of the temperature measurement of the thermocouple 300, improve the temperature measurement accuracy of the thermocouple, and further ensure the heat treatment process effect. In practical applications, the above scheme is adopted, and the temperature fluctuation in the furnace tube 100 is controlled within ±1°C.

[0042] In some specific embodiments of the utility model, the cross-sectional shape of the annular air inlet pipe 210 is a fan-shaped structure, and in other specific embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the annular air inlet pipe 210 is a circular ring structure, preferably a circular ring structure. When the cross-sectional shape of the annular air inlet pipe 210 is a fan-shaped structure, preferably, the fan-shaped structure of the annular air inlet pipe 210 is larger than half of the circular ring where the annular air inlet pipe 210 is located. Alternatively, the number of the annular air inlet pipes 210 includes multiple, wherein the cross-sectional shape of some of the annular air inlet pipes 210 is a fan-shaped structure, and the cross-sectional shape of another part of the annular air inlet pipes 210 is a circular ring structure. The annular air inlet pipe 210 can be set at the furnace mouth, and can also be set around the substrate to be heat treated.

[0043] In some specific embodiments of the present invention, the air intake assembly 200 includes an air intake main pipe 220 , one end of the air intake main pipe 220 is connected to the air source, and the other end of the air intake main pipe 220 is connected to the annular air intake pipe 210 .

[0044] like Figure 5-Figure 7 As shown, in some specific embodiments, the air intake main pipe 220 is fixed on the furnace mouth flange 110, and the furnace mouth flange 110 is provided with a card slot for inserting the annular air intake pipe 210 and a socket 111 that matches the plug on the annular air intake pipe 210, so that the annular air intake pipe 210 is connected with the air intake main pipe 220. During installation, the annular air intake pipe 210 is inserted into the card slot, and the plug is inserted into the socket 111, so that the sealing ring at the plug fits with the inner wall of the socket 111, and the annular air intake pipe 210 and the air intake main pipe 220 are connected, and the sealing is ensured. This connection method belongs to a quick-insert structure, which does not require any thread or ferrule connection, is convenient for disassembly, assembly and replacement of the annular air intake pipe 210, and is easy to operate.

[0045] On the basis of the above embodiment, the annular air inlet pipe 210 is fixed to the furnace mouth flange 110 of the furnace tube 100 by means of the fixing member 500. Specifically, the fixing member 500 can be a pressure plate, and the number of the pressure plates can be specifically set according to the actual situation, as long as the annular air inlet pipe 210 can be fixed to the furnace mouth flange 110 and the stability of the annular air inlet pipe 210 is ensured.

[0046] In other specific embodiments, a clamping portion is provided on the annular air inlet pipe 210 , and a clamping hole matching the clamping portion is provided in the clamping groove, so as to fix the annular air inlet pipe 210 to the furnace mouth flange 110 .

[0047] The heat treatment equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model includes at least one annular air inlet pipe 210, preferably the number of the annular air inlet pipes 210 is multiple, and each annular air inlet pipe 210 is connected to the air inlet main pipe 220, which can further ensure the diversion and uniformity of the air flow. In some specific implementations, each annular air inlet pipe 210 can be connected to the air inlet main pipe 220 through an air inlet branch pipe; in other specific embodiments, the air inlet main pipe 220 includes an air source connecting portion disposed outside the furnace tube 100 and connected to the air source and a straight pipe disposed inside the furnace tube 100, and each annular air inlet pipe 210 is connected to the straight pipe in turn.

[0048] like Figure 8 As shown, the heat treatment equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model includes at least one layer of heat shield 400, and each layer of heat shield 400 is sequentially sleeved on the working end of the thermocouple 300. The heat shield 400 shown in the figure is a cylindrical structure with closed ends to shield the working end of the thermocouple 300. This method can make the thermocouple 300 have a certain shielding effect and reduce the measurement error of the thermocouple 300.

[0049] The heat shield 400 includes a first heat shield 410 and a second heat shield 420. The second heat shield 420 is sleeved on the outside of the first heat shield 410 to form a double-layer heat insulation structure. It should be noted that the double layer here is only an example and cannot be used as a limitation. The number of layers of the heat shield 400 can also be set to three layers. Preferably, the number of layers of the heat shield 400 does not exceed four layers. In other specific embodiments, the shape of the heat shield 400 can be a rectangular parallelepiped structure.

[0050] In the heat treatment equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the utility model, the heat shield 400 can be made of stainless steel, nickel-based alloy, quartz, silicon carbide or alumina ceramics, or other high-temperature resistant non-metallic materials. The materials of each layer of the heat shield 400 can be the same or different.

[0051] In some specific embodiments, the heat treatment equipment is a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) equipment; in other specific embodiments, the heat treatment equipment is a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) equipment.

[0052] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0053] As shown in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates an exception, the words "a", "an", "a kind" and / or "the" do not refer to the singular, but also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "include" and "comprise" only indicate the inclusion of clearly identified steps and elements, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. The method or device may also include other steps or elements. The elements defined by the sentence "includes a..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity or device that includes the elements.

[0054] In the following, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0055] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the utility model. The above examples are only used to help understand the core idea of ​​the utility model. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, without departing from the principle of the utility model, the utility model can also be improved and modified, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the utility model.

Claims

1. A heat treatment device, characterized in that: include: A furnace tube (100), wherein a substrate to be subjected to a heat treatment process is arranged in the furnace tube (100); An air intake assembly (200), the air intake assembly (200) comprising an annular air intake pipe (210), the annular air intake pipe (210) being arranged in the furnace tube (100), and a plurality of air outlets (211) being provided along the circumference of the annular air intake pipe (210), so that gas flowing out through the air outlets (211) flows into the furnace tube (100), so as to perform a heat treatment process on the substrate; A temperature measuring component is arranged in the furnace tube (100), the temperature measuring component comprises a thermocouple (300), a working end of the thermocouple (300) faces the inflow direction of the gas, and a heat shield (400) is arranged on the thermocouple (300).

2. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that The cross-sectional shape of the annular air inlet pipe (210) is a fan-shaped structure or a circular ring structure.

3. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that The air intake assembly (200) comprises an air intake main pipe (220), one end of the air intake main pipe (220) being connected to a gas source of the gas, and the other end of the air intake main pipe (220) being connected to the annular air intake pipe (210).

4. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that The air intake main pipe (220) is fixed to the furnace mouth flange (110) of the furnace pipe (100); the furnace mouth flange (110) is provided with a slot for inserting the annular air intake pipe (210) and a socket (111) that matches with a plug on the annular air intake pipe (210), so that the annular air intake pipe (210) is connected to the air intake main pipe (220).

5. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that The annular air inlet pipe (210) is fixed to the furnace mouth flange (110) of the furnace tube (100) via a fixing member (500).

6. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that At least one annular air intake pipe (210) is included, and each of the annular air intake pipes (210) is connected to the main air intake pipe (220).

7. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that The shape of the air outlet (211) includes at least one of an ellipse, a circle or a polygon.

8. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that At least one layer of the heat shield (400) is included, and each layer of the heat shield (400) is sequentially sleeved on the working end of the thermocouple (300).

9. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that: The heat shield (400) is made of materials including stainless steel, nickel-based alloy, quartz, silicon carbide or alumina ceramics.

10. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that The materials of each layer of the heat shield (400) are the same or different.

11. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that The heat treatment equipment is LPCVD equipment or PECVD equipment.

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