Annealing device and silicon wafer production equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses an annealing device and silicon wafer production equipment. The annealing device comprises a furnace body and a conveying mechanism, a processing cavity is defined in the furnace body, and the processing cavity comprises a preheating area, a process area and a cooling area; the conveying mechanism comprises a plurality of first roll shafts, the first roll shafts are arranged in the processing cavity side by side in the conveying direction, and the two ends of each first roll shaft are rotationally connected with the cavity walls of the two sides of the processing cavity correspondingly; wherein the first roll shaft is used for bearing a silicon wafer carrier, the first roll shaft can abut against the bottom face of the silicon wafer carrier, and the first roll shaft is driven to rotate and drive the silicon wafer carrier to move, so that the silicon wafer carrier sequentially passes through the preheating area, the process area and the cooling area. According to the annealing device, the time interval of moving the two adjacent groups of silicon wafer carriers out of the process area is the process time of annealing and the process period of the silicon wafers, and compared with the process period of a vacuum annealing device, the process period of the annealing device is greatly shortened, so that the productivity is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of photovoltaic silicon wafer manufacturing, in particular to an annealing device and a silicon wafer production equipment. Background Art

[0002] Photovoltaic technology is a new energy technology that converts solar energy into electrical energy. With the continuous development of the photovoltaic industry, higher and higher requirements are put forward for the production efficiency of photovoltaic silicon wafers. Among them, the annealing process is an essential process in the silicon wafer production process.

[0003] At present, the vacuum annealing process is often used in the photovoltaic industry. The process is as follows: First, the silicon wafers to be processed and the silicon wafer carriers are sent into the annealing furnace, then the inside of the furnace is set to a vacuum state, heated to the annealing temperature, held for a certain time, and then air is introduced into the furnace to return to the normal pressure state while cooling to the furnace outlet temperature. After that, the oxidized silicon wafers and the silicon wafer carriers are removed from the annealing furnace. However, the vacuum annealing process needs to carry out heating, annealing and cooling in the same chamber, and the whole processing process takes a long time and the production capacity is relatively low. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The utility model aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. For this purpose, the utility model provides an annealing device, which can greatly shorten the process cycle of the annealing device, thereby significantly improving the production capacity.

[0005] The utility model also provides a silicon wafer production equipment with the above annealing device.

[0006] According to the annealing device of the first aspect embodiment of the utility model, it includes:

[0007] A furnace body, the furnace body defines a processing chamber, and the furnace body includes a preheating zone, a process zone and a cooling zone;

[0008] A conveying mechanism, the conveying mechanism includes a plurality of first roller shafts, the plurality of first roller shafts are arranged side by side in the processing chamber along the conveying direction, and both ends of each first roller shaft are rotatably connected to the chamber walls on both sides of the processing chamber;

[0009] Wherein, the first roller shaft is used for carrying the silicon wafer carrier, the first roller shaft can abut against the bottom surface of the silicon wafer carrier, and the first roller shaft is driven to rotate to drive the silicon wafer carrier to move, so that the silicon wafer carrier sequentially passes through the preheating zone, the process zone and the cooling zone.

[0010] According to the annealing device of the embodiment of the utility model, it has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0011] In the present application, the time interval between the removal of two adjacent groups of wafer carriers from the process area is the annealing process time, that is, the time interval for reaching the cooling area is the annealing process time, and it is also the process cycle of the wafers. Compared with the process cycle of the vacuum annealing device, the process cycle of the annealing device of the present application is greatly shortened, so that the production capacity is significantly improved.

[0012] In addition, since each partition performs its own functions, the temperature change range of the wafers in each area is reduced. On the one hand, it is beneficial to more accurately control the temperature in the partition and is conducive to the accurate progress of the annealing process. On the other hand, it is also beneficial to regulate the temperature rise or fall range of the wafers, thereby avoiding the increase in thermal stress caused by too fast temperature rise or the increase in residual stress caused by too fast temperature drop. And, compared with the prior art where the vacuum furnace needs to be heated and cooled repeatedly, the temperature of each area of the furnace body in the present application is relatively constant, so the requirements for the heating elements and control systems in the annealing device are lower, improving the service life and safety of the device.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, each of the first roller shafts is provided with a first transmission part, and the conveying mechanism further includes a first transmission shaft. The first transmission shaft extends along the conveying direction, and the first transmission shaft is provided with a plurality of second transmission parts. Each of the second transmission parts cooperates with the first transmission part respectively, so that the rotation of the first transmission shaft drives each of the first roller shafts to rotate synchronously.

[0014] The annealing device according to the second aspect embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0015] A furnace body, the furnace body defines a processing chamber, and the furnace body includes a preheating area, a process area and a cooling area;

[0016] A conveying mechanism, the conveying mechanism includes a plurality of second roller shafts. At least two of the second roller shafts are rotatably connected to two chamber walls on both sides of the processing chamber in the conveying direction. One end of the second roller shaft is disposed through the chamber wall, and the other end protrudes from the chamber wall.

[0017] Wherein, the second roller shafts are used for carrying wafer carriers, and the second roller shafts on both sides can abut against the wafer carriers to support the wafer carriers in the processing chamber. The second roller shafts are driven to rotate and drive the wafer carriers to move, so that the wafer carriers pass through the preheating area, the process area and the cooling area in sequence.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the wafer carrier includes two side walls parallel to the conveying direction;

[0019] Wherein, at least one of the side walls is provided with an abutting protrusion, the abutting protrusion extends along the conveying direction, and the second roller shaft abuts against the lower side surface of the abutting protrusion;

[0020] And / or, at least one side wall is provided with a plug-in groove, the plug-in groove extends along the conveying direction, and the second roller shaft is inserted into the plug-in groove and abuts against the upper groove wall of the plug-in groove.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, each of the second roller shafts is provided with a third transmission part, and the conveying mechanism further includes two second transmission shafts. Each of the second transmission shafts includes a fourth transmission part. The second roller shafts arranged on the same cavity wall are connected to the same second transmission shaft. Through the cooperation of the third transmission part and the fourth transmission part, the rotation of the second transmission shaft drives the rotation of each of the second roller shafts on the corresponding cavity wall.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the conveying mechanism further includes a driving member, and the driving member is connected to the first transmission shaft or the second transmission shaft to drive the first transmission shaft or the second transmission shaft to rotate;

[0023] Wherein, the driving member drives the first transmission shaft or the second transmission shaft to rotate continuously, or the driving member drives the first transmission shaft or the second transmission shaft to rotate intermittently.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a first partition is arranged between the preheating zone and the process zone. The first partition is movably connected to the furnace body, and the first partition is used to separate the preheating zone and the process zone;

[0025] And / or, a second partition is arranged between the process zone and the cooling zone. The second partition is movably connected to the furnace body, and the second partition is used to separate the process zone and the cooling zone.

[0026] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first partition is slidably connected to the furnace body, and the first partition can slide into the furnace body along the horizontal direction or the vertical direction to separate the preheating zone and the process zone;

[0027] Or, the first partition is rotatably connected to the furnace body, and the rotation axis of the first partition is parallel to the conveying direction, so that the first partition can rotate into the furnace body in the vertical plane to separate the preheating zone and the process zone;

[0028] Or, the first partition is rotatably connected to the furnace body, and the rotation axis of the first partition is perpendicular to the conveying direction. The first partition is located in the furnace body, and the first partition can rotate to be parallel to the vertical plane to separate the preheating zone and the process zone;

[0029] And / or:

[0030] The second partition is slidably connected to the furnace body, and the second partition can slide into the furnace body in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction to separate the process area and the cooling area;

[0031] Alternatively, the second partition is rotatably connected to the furnace body, and the rotation axis of the second partition is parallel to the conveying direction, so that the second partition can rotate into the furnace body in the vertical plane to separate the process area and the cooling area;

[0032] Alternatively, the second partition is rotatably connected to the furnace body, the rotation axis of the second partition is perpendicular to the conveying direction, the second partition is located in the furnace body, and the second partition can rotate to be parallel to the vertical plane to separate the process area and the cooling area.

[0033] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the annealing device includes a plurality of the furnace bodies and a plurality of conveying mechanisms, and one of the conveying mechanisms is arranged in each of the furnace bodies;

[0034] Alternatively, the annealing device includes one furnace body and a plurality of conveying mechanisms, and the plurality of conveying mechanisms are arranged in the furnace body.

[0035] The silicon wafer production equipment according to the third aspect embodiment of the present invention includes the annealing device according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0036] The additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be partially given in the following description, partially become obvious from the following description, or be understood through the practice of the present invention. Description of the Drawings

[0037] The following further describes the present invention in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments, where:

[0038] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the annealing device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the furnace body according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the conveying mechanism according to the first aspect embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the conveying mechanism according to the second aspect embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the conveying mechanism for conveying the silicon wafer carrier according to the second aspect embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 6This is a schematic structural diagram of a silicon wafer carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Reference numerals:

[0045] Furnace body 100; Chamber wall 101; Preheating zone 110; Process zone 120; Cooling zone 130;

[0046] Conveying mechanism 200; First roller shaft 210; First transmission part 211; First transmission shaft 220; Second transmission part 221; Second roller shaft 230; Third transmission part 231; Second transmission shaft 240; Fourth transmission part 241;

[0047] Silicon wafer carrier 300; Side wall 301; Abutting protrusion 310; Boat support 320; Abutting member 330;

[0048] Furnace door 400;

[0049] Frame 500. Detailed implementation manners

[0050] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. The examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar elements or elements with the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0051] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0052] In the description of the present invention, the meaning of several is more than one, and the meaning of multiple is more than two. Understandings such as greater than, less than, exceeding, etc. do not include the present number, and understandings such as above, below, within, etc. include the present number. If there is a description of first and second, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the sequence relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, words such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above words in the present invention in combination with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0054] In the description of the present utility model, the descriptions with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "schematic embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present utility model. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0055] Photovoltaic technology is a new energy technology that converts solar energy into electrical energy. With the continuous development of the photovoltaic industry, higher and higher requirements are put forward for the production efficiency of photovoltaic wafers. Among them, the annealing process is an essential process in the wafer production process.

[0056] Currently, the vacuum annealing process is often used in the photovoltaic industry. The process is as follows: First, the wafers to be processed and the wafer carriers are sent into the annealing furnace, then the inside of the furnace is set to a vacuum state, heated to the annealing temperature, held for a certain period of time, and then gas is introduced into the furnace to return to the normal pressure state while cooling to the out-of-furnace temperature. After that, the oxidized wafers and the wafer carriers are removed from the annealing furnace. However, the vacuum annealing process needs to carry out heating, annealing, and cooling in the same chamber, and the whole processing process takes a long time and the production capacity is relatively low. Moreover, the rapid and repeated heating and cooling have high requirements for the heating elements and control systems of the annealing device, and it is easy to reduce the service life of the furnace body.

[0057] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the first aspect of the present application proposes an annealing device that adopts an atmospheric pressure annealing process and does not need to perform the steps of heating, annealing, and cooling in a vacuum chamber respectively. Specifically, as Figures 1 to 3 shown, the annealing device of the present application includes a furnace body 100 and a conveying mechanism 200. The furnace body 100 is a cavity structure, and a processing chamber is defined inside. The furnace body 100 includes a preheating zone 110, a process zone 120, and a cooling zone 130. Each zone undertakes different heat treatment tasks and together constitutes a complete chain of the annealing process. The conveying mechanism 200 passes through the preheating zone 110, the process zone 120, and the cooling zone 130. The conveying mechanism 200 is used to convey the wafer carrier 300, and the wafer carrier 300 is used to carry the wafers. The wafer carrier 300 is transmitted by the conveying mechanism 200 and can sequentially pass through the preheating zone 110, the process zone 120, and the cooling zone 130 to complete the annealing treatment of the wafers.

[0058] The silicon wafer is preheated in the preheating zone 110, and the temperature of the silicon wafer is raised from room temperature to a preset temperature. It can be understood that the preheating temperature can be adjusted according to actual processing requirements, and should be greater than room temperature and less than the annealing process temperature. Then the silicon wafer is transported to the process zone 120 for further heating to reach the annealing process temperature. Then the silicon wafer is transferred from the process zone 120 to the cooling zone 130 for cooling down.

[0059] With the furnace body structure for heating and cooling in such a partitioned manner, when annealing treatment is carried out in the process zone 120, the preheating zone 110 can preheat the silicon wafer to the preset temperature in advance, reducing the temperature rise difference of the silicon wafer in the process zone 120, thereby shortening the time consumed in the temperature rise stage of the silicon wafer in the process zone 120. After the annealing treatment of the silicon wafer in the process zone 120, it is sent to the cooling zone 130 for cooling, and the cooling stage of the silicon wafer is moved to the cooling zone 130, so that the process zone 120 can continue to process the subsequent silicon wafers, thus forming an assembly line operation.

[0060] It can be understood that in the prior art, the process cycle of the silicon wafer is the difference between the time when the silicon wafer enters the annealing furnace and the time when it is taken out of the annealing furnace. This process cycle includes the time for the furnace tube to heat up and cool down, the process time for the silicon wafer annealing, and the time for the silicon wafer carrier 300 to enter and exit the annealing furnace. The entire process cycle is much longer than the annealing process time, even doubling, so the production capacity is relatively low.

[0061] In this application, the time interval between the removal of two adjacent groups of silicon wafer carriers 300 from the process zone 120 is the annealing process time, that is, the time interval to reach the cooling zone 130 is the annealing process time, and it is also the process cycle of the silicon wafer. Compared with the process cycle of the vacuum annealing device, the process cycle of the annealing device in this application is greatly shortened, so the production capacity is significantly improved.

[0062] In addition, since each partition performs its own functions, the temperature change range of the silicon wafer in each area is reduced. On the one hand, it is beneficial to more accurately control the temperature in the partition and is conducive to the accurate progress of the annealing process. On the other hand, it is also beneficial to regulate the temperature rise or fall range of the silicon wafer, thereby avoiding the increase of thermal stress caused by too fast temperature rise or the increase of residual stress caused by too fast temperature drop. And, compared with the prior art where the vacuum furnace needs to repeatedly heat up and cool down, the temperature of each area of the furnace body 100 in this application is relatively constant, so the requirements for the heating elements and control systems in the annealing device are lower, improving the service life and safety of the device.

[0063] It should be noted that the conveying mechanism 200 in this application plays a role in efficiently connecting all areas inside the furnace body 100. Specifically, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the conveying mechanism 200 includes a plurality of first roller shafts 210. The plurality of first roller shafts 210 are arranged side by side in the conveying direction in the processing chamber. That is, the axial direction of each first roller shaft 210 is perpendicular to the conveying direction, and adjacent first roller shafts 210 are spaced apart. Both ends of each first roller shaft 210 are rotatably connected to the chamber walls 101 on both sides of the processing chamber.

[0064] The first roller shaft 210 is used to carry the wafer carrier 300. After the wafer carrier 300 is placed on the first roller shaft 210, the first roller shaft 210 abuts against the bottom surface of the wafer carrier 300. Moreover, the wafer carrier 300 abuts against at least two first roller shafts 210 to mount the wafer carrier 300 in the processing chamber. By supporting the bottom of the wafer carrier 300, a relatively large contact area is formed between the first roller shaft 210 and the wafer carrier 300, so as to obtain a more stable supporting effect and avoid the wafer carrier 300 from shaking or falling during transportation.

[0065] Moreover, the spaces above and below the wafer carrier 300 can both be used for the airflow to pass through. Adjacent first roller shafts 210 are spaced apart, with gaps to facilitate the airflow to pass through, thereby increasing the contact area between the wafer carrier 300 and the airflow and accelerating the heating or cooling rate of the wafer carrier 300. It should be noted that the airflow in the preheating zone 110 and the process zone 120 is a heat flow, which passes through the wafer carrier 300 and exchanges heat to increase the temperature of the wafer; the heat flow in the cooling zone 130 is a cold flow to reduce the temperature of the wafer.

[0066] Both ends of the first roller shaft 210 are rotatably connected to the chamber walls 101 on both sides of the processing chamber. It should be explained that the "chamber walls 101 on both sides" mentioned here refer to the chamber walls 101 on both sides along the conveying direction. The first roller shaft 210 is connected to a driving member (not shown in the figure). When the driving member works and the first roller shaft 210 rotates, the wafer carrier 300 can be driven to move through the frictional force between the first roller shaft 210 and the wafer carrier 300, so that the wafer carrier 300 passes through the preheating zone 110, the process zone 120, and the cooling zone 130 in sequence, thereby completing the entire annealing process. Compared with the prior art in which the wafer carrier 300 is carried into or out of the annealing furnace by a handling mechanism, the conveying mechanism 200 of the present application can transfer multiple wafer carriers 300 at the same time, and has a higher transmission efficiency.

[0067] In some embodiments, each first roller shaft 210 is provided with a first transmission part 211. Each conveying mechanism 200 further includes a first transmission shaft 220 that extends along the conveying direction. The first transmission shaft 220 is provided with a plurality of second transmission parts 221, and the second transmission parts 221 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the first transmission shaft 220 and are respectively arranged corresponding to the positions of the first roller shafts 210. Each second transmission part 221 is respectively matched with the first transmission part 211 on the corresponding first transmission shaft 220, so that the rotation of the first transmission shaft 220 drives the first roller shafts 210 to rotate synchronously.

[0068] In the embodiments such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the first transmission shaft 220 is arranged outside the furnace body 100. One end of the first roller shaft 210 connected to the cavity wall 101 protrudes from the outer wall of the furnace body 100. The first transmission part 211 is connected to the part of the first roller shaft 210 protruding from the outer wall of the furnace body 100 and is connected and matched with the second transmission part 221. The first transmission part 211 can be a bevel gear, and the second transmission part 221 is also a bevel gear, so that the rotation with the rotation axis arranged along the conveying direction can be converted into the rotation with the rotation axis perpendicular to the conveying direction. Moreover, the gear transmission can bear a large load and has a high transmission accuracy.

[0069] Arranging the first transmission part 211 and the first transmission shaft 220 outside the furnace body 100 can avoid the influence of the high-temperature environment on the service life of the transmission components and facilitate the maintenance and repair of the transmission components of the conveying mechanism 200. In some other embodiments, the first transmission shaft 220 can also be arranged inside the furnace body 100 to make full use of the space inside the furnace body 100 to reduce the volume of the entire annealing device.

[0070] It can be understood that in some other embodiments, each first roller shaft 210 can also be driven independently, that is, each first roller shaft 210 is connected with a driving motor. Through the regulation of the controller, the operation or stop of a single first roller shaft 210 can be regulated, and through the start-stop cooperation of adjacent first roller shafts 210, the transportation of the wafer carrier 300 in the furnace body 100 can be realized. Or, in other embodiments, not all the first roller shafts 210 need to be connected to the power source. Some first roller shafts 210 can be driven by the power source to rotate actively, and some first roller shafts 210 can rotate drivenly with the movement of the wafer carrier 300. In addition, the number of the first transmission shafts 220 can be one, which is arranged at the same end of each first roller shaft 210 to realize the drive of each first roller shaft 210. Or, the number of the first transmission shafts 220 can also be two, which are respectively arranged at both ends of the first roller shaft 210, and the synchronous drive of the first roller shaft 210 is realized through the two first transmission shafts 220 to improve the load capacity of the conveying mechanism 200.

[0071] In the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application, another annealing device is also proposed. Different from the first aspect embodiment where both ends of the first roller shaft 210 are respectively connected to the chamber wall 101 of the processing chamber, in the second aspect embodiment, the second roller shaft 230 that bears the wafer carrier 300 is connected to the chamber wall 101 at one end, and the other end is set as a free end in the functional chamber.

[0072] Specifically, as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, the annealing device of the second aspect includes a furnace body 100 and a conveying mechanism 200. To improve the processing efficiency and shorten the process cycle, the furnace body 100 of the second aspect embodiment also adopts a partition design. The furnace body 100 includes a preheating zone 110, a process zone 120, and a cooling zone 130. The conveying mechanism 200 can sequentially convey the wafer carrier 300 carrying wafers to the preheating zone 110, the process zone 120, and the cooling zone 130. The conveying mechanism 200 includes a plurality of second roller shafts 230. The second roller shafts 230 are divided into two groups. The two groups of second roller shafts 230 are respectively arranged on two chamber walls 101 on both sides of the processing chamber in the conveying direction and are rotatably connected to the chamber walls 101. At least two second roller shafts 230 are included in each group of second roller shafts 230, that is, at least two second roller shafts 230 are rotatably connected to both chamber walls 101 of the processing chamber. One end of the second roller shaft 230 is arranged through the chamber wall 101, and the other end protrudes from the chamber wall 101 and extends into the processing chamber.

[0073] The second roller shaft 230 is used to bear the wafer carrier 300. It should be noted that in the first aspect embodiment, the wafer carrier 300 needs to abut against at least two first roller shafts 210, that is, the wafer carrier 300 can be erected in the functional chamber. In the second aspect embodiment, the wafer carrier 300 needs to abut against at least four second roller shafts 230, that is, at least two second roller shafts 230 on one side of the wafer carrier 300 abut against it to erect the wafer carrier 300 in the functional chamber. Taking the example that the wafer carrier 300 abuts against six second roller shafts 230 in the initial position, both sides of the wafer carrier 300 abut against three second roller shafts 230 respectively. As the wafer carrier 300 moves, the number of second roller shafts 230 that support the wafer carrier 300 may change. For example, in some strokes, the wafer carrier 300 is supported by six second roller shafts 230, and in another part of the stroke, the wafer carrier 300 is supported by four second roller shafts 230.

[0074] It can be understood that in the embodiment as Figure 4 shown, the second roller shafts 230 on both side chamber walls 101 of the processing chamber are arranged in one-to-one correspondence. In other embodiments, the second roller shafts 230 on both side chamber walls 101 of the processing chamber can also be arranged staggeredly.

[0075] It should be noted that the wafer carrier 300 includes two side walls 301 parallel to the conveying direction. In some embodiments, the second roller shafts 230 on the two side walls 101 of the processing chamber are in contact with the aforementioned side walls 301 of the wafer carrier 300, so as to replace the contact between the first roller shafts 210 and the bottom surface of the wafer carrier 300 in the embodiments of the first aspect; alternatively, in other embodiments, each second roller shaft 230 can be in contact with the bottom surface of the wafer carrier 300, and the wafer carrier 300 is arranged above the second roller shafts 230, and a small part of the bottom surface is in contact with the second roller shafts 230 to support the wafer carrier 300 in the processing chamber. When the second roller shafts 230 are driven to rotate, the wafer carrier 300 is driven to move, so that the wafer carrier 300 passes through the preheating zone 110, the process zone 120, and the cooling zone 130 in sequence. No matter which of the above contact methods, since the contact area between the second roller shafts 230 and the wafer carrier 300 is smaller, it can reduce the influence of the contact between the second roller shafts 230 and the wafer carrier 300 on the heating or cooling rate of the wafer, improve the uneven heating of the wafer carrier 300, and improve the annealing effect of the annealing device.

[0076] For example, in the embodiment as Figure 5 shown, the side walls 301 of the wafer carrier 300 are in contact with the second roller shafts 230 on the two side walls 101 of the processing chamber. More specifically, as Figure 6 shown, the side walls 301 of the wafer carrier 300 are provided with abutting protrusions 310, and the abutting protrusions 310 extend along the conveying direction, so that the second roller shafts 230 are in contact with the lower side surfaces of the abutting protrusions 310. The abutting protrusions 310 can be integrally formed on the side walls of the wafer carrier 300, or alternatively, as Figure 6 shown, the wafer carrier 300 includes a plurality of boat supports 320 and abutting members 330, and the abutting members 330 can be wound around the outside of each boat support 320 to form the abutting protrusions 310 for contacting the second roller shafts 230.

[0077] The side walls 301 of the wafer carrier 300 can also be provided with insertion grooves, and the insertion grooves extend along the conveying direction, so that the free ends of the second roller shafts 230 are inserted into the insertion grooves and are in contact with the upper groove walls of the insertion grooves.

[0078] It should be noted that the wafer carrier 300 can be provided with abutting protrusions 310 or insertion grooves on both side walls 301, or one side wall 301 is provided with abutting protrusions 310 and the other side wall 301 is provided with insertion grooves.

[0079] Based on the above structure, the second roller shafts 230 disposed on different chamber walls 101 of the processing chamber need to be driven separately. Thus, the conveying mechanism 200 includes two second transmission shafts 240. Each second transmission shaft 240 includes a fourth transmission part 241. Each second roller shaft 230 is provided with a third transmission part 231. The second roller shafts 230 disposed on the same chamber wall 101 are connected to the same second transmission shaft 240, and through the cooperation of the third transmission part 231 and the fourth transmission part 241, the rotation of the second transmission shaft 240 drives the rotation of each second roller shaft 230 on the corresponding chamber wall 101.

[0080] It can be understood that through the cooperative transmission of the two second transmission shafts 240, the separate driving of the second roller shafts 230 on both sides is achieved, thus avoiding the problem that the moving path of the wafer carrier 300 is prone to deviation caused by the rotation of the second roller shaft 230 on one side. Moreover, the second roller shafts 230 on both sides can be actively driven, which can improve the load capacity of the conveying mechanism 200 to achieve stable transmission.

[0081] In the embodiment as Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, the second transmission shaft 240 is disposed outside the furnace body 100. One end of the second roller shaft 230 connected to the chamber wall 101 of the processing chamber protrudes from the outer wall of the furnace body 100. The third transmission part 231 is connected to the part of the second roller shaft 230 protruding from the outer wall of the furnace body 100 and is connected and cooperates with the fourth transmission part 241. The third transmission part 231 can be a bevel gear, and the fourth transmission part 241 is also a bevel gear, so that the rotation with the rotation axis arranged along the conveying direction can be converted into the rotation with the rotation axis perpendicular to the conveying direction. Moreover, the gear transmission can bear a large load and has a high transmission accuracy.

[0082] Disposing the third transmission part 231 and the second transmission shaft 240 outside the furnace body 100 can avoid the influence of the high-temperature environment on the service life of the transmission components and facilitate the maintenance and repair of the transmission components of the conveying mechanism 200. In some other embodiments, the second transmission shaft 240 can also be disposed inside the furnace body 100 to make full use of the space inside the furnace body 100 to reduce the volume of the entire annealing device.

[0083] It can be understood that in some other embodiments, each of the second roller shafts 230 can also be driven independently, that is, each of the second roller shafts 230 is connected to a driving motor, and through the regulation of the controller, the operation or stop of a single second roller shaft 230 can be regulated, and through the start-stop cooperation of adjacent second roller shafts 230, the transportation of the wafer carrier 300 in the furnace body 100 can be achieved. Or, in other embodiments, not all of the second roller shafts 230 need to be connected to the power source. Some of the second roller shafts 230 can be driven to rotate actively by the power source, and some of the second roller shafts 230 can rotate passively following the movement of the wafer carrier 300.

[0084] In the annealing device of the first aspect embodiment and the second aspect embodiment, the conveying mechanism 200 may further include a driving member (not shown in the figure). Taking the first aspect embodiment as an example, the driving member is connected to the first transmission shaft 220 to drive the first transmission shaft 220 to rotate. It should be noted that the working mode of the driving member can be continuous operation or intermittent operation. Thus, the driving member can drive the first transmission shaft 220 to rotate continuously, or drive the first transmission shaft 220 to rotate intermittently. It should be explained that intermittent rotation means that the first transmission shaft 220 rotates for a period of time and then stops rotating, pauses for a period of time and then resumes rotation.

[0085] It should be noted that the working mode of the driving member needs to be determined according to various conditions such as the annealing process temperature, process time, and the length of each partition of the furnace body 100. For example, if the driving member operates continuously so that the wafer carrier 300 can move continuously on the conveying mechanism 200, during the process of the wafer carrier 300 entering the furnace body 100 and moving out of the preheating zone 110, the wafer can be heated to the preset temperature, then the wafer carrier 300 does not need to stay in place in the preheating zone 110 waiting to be heated to the preset temperature. On the contrary, if the length of the preheating zone 110 is short and the continuous movement of the wafer carrier 300 is not sufficient to support the wafer to be heated to the preset temperature, the driving member can be adjusted to drive the first transmission shaft 220 to rotate intermittently, so that the wafer carrier 300 can stay in the preheating zone 110 for a period of time to wait to be heated to the preset temperature and then move out of the preheating zone 110.

[0086] It should be noted that if the first roller shaft 210 runs continuously and uniformly, and a certain distance is maintained between adjacent wafer carriers 300, the running speed of the wafer carrier 300 is: the length of the process area 120 / the annealing process time. The time interval for two adjacent wafer carriers 300 to move out of the process area 120 is the process cycle, and the process cycle is: the distance between adjacent wafer carriers 300 / the running speed of the wafer carrier 300. If the first roller shaft 210 runs intermittently, that is, the wafer carrier 300 needs to stay in a certain area for a period of time, the running speed of the wafer carrier 300 is: the length of the process area 120 / (the annealing process time - the total stay time in the process area 120). The time interval for two adjacent wafer carriers 300 to move out of the process area 120 is the process cycle, and the process cycle is: the distance between adjacent wafer carriers 300 / the running speed of the wafer carrier 300 + the stay time of the wafer carrier 300.

[0087] In some embodiments, a first partition (not shown in the figure) is provided between the preheating area 110 and the process area 120. The first partition is movably connected to the furnace body 100, and the first partition is used to separate the preheating area 110 and the process area 120. And / or, a second partition (not shown in the figure) is provided between the process area 120 and the cooling area 130. The second partition is movably connected to the furnace body 100, and the second partition is used to separate the process area 120 and the cooling area 130. The first partition and the second partition play a role in separating each area to reduce the heat transfer between each area and reduce the heat loss in the process area 120 and the preheating area 110. It can be understood that the opening or closing timing of the first partition and the second partition needs to be determined according to the position of the wafer carrier 300 in the processing chamber. When the wafer carrier 300 moves out of the preheating area 110 and enters the process area 120, and when it moves out of the process area 120 and enters the preheating area 110, the first partition and the second partition can be opened in time.

[0088] Further, taking the first partition as an example, the connection mode between the first partition and the furnace body 100 can be a sliding connection. Thus, the first partition can slide into the furnace body 100 in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction to separate the preheating zone 110 and the process zone 120. Or, the first partition is rotatably connected to the furnace body 100, and the rotation axis of the first partition is parallel to the conveying direction, so that the first partition can rotate into the furnace body 100 in the vertical plane to separate the preheating zone 110 and the process zone 120. Or, the first partition can also be rotatably connected to the furnace body 100, the rotation axis of the first partition is perpendicular to the conveying direction, and the first partition is located in the furnace body 100. Thus, the first partition can be turned over in the furnace body 100 until it rotates to be parallel to the vertical plane, thereby realizing the separation of the preheating zone 110 and the process zone 120. The same applies to the second partition. The second partition can also be slidably connected or rotatably connected to the furnace body 100. If it is rotatably connected, the rotation axis of the second partition can be parallel to the conveying direction or perpendicular to the conveying direction. It should be noted that the setting modes of the first partition and the second partition can be the same or different.

[0089] In the embodiment as Figure 1 shown, furnace doors 400 are also provided at the entrance of the preheating zone 110 and the exit of the cooling zone 130. The furnace doors 400 are hinged or slidably connected to the furnace body 100, so as to be able to open and close the furnace doors 400, reduce the heat diffusion of the furnace body 100 to the outside, and thus reduce the overall energy consumption of the annealing device.

[0090] In some embodiments, the annealing device includes a plurality of furnace bodies 100 and a plurality of conveying mechanisms 200, and one conveying mechanism 200 is provided in each furnace body 100. In the embodiment as Figure 1 shown, the annealing device further includes a frame 500, and a plurality of furnace bodies 100 are stacked on the frame 500 in the vertical direction, so that the production capacity of the annealing device can be doubled. In other embodiments, the plurality of furnace bodies 100 can also be arranged side by side on the frame 500 in the horizontal direction, or part of them are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction and part of them are stacked in the vertical direction.

[0091] In other embodiments, the annealing device includes one furnace body 100 and a plurality of conveying mechanisms 200. The plurality of conveying mechanisms 200 are arranged in the same furnace body 100, and are stacked and / or arranged side by side in the same furnace body 100 to improve the production capacity in a single furnace body 100.

[0092] In addition, as Figure 6As shown, the wafer carrier 300 is composed of a plurality of boat supports 320 and abutting members 330. Each boat support 320 can be used to carry wafers. The abutting members 330 are wound around the outside of the boat supports 320 and are used to abut against the second roller shaft 230. Further, each boat support 320 can be configured into a multi-layer structure so as to be able to accommodate more wafers and improve production capacity.

[0093] In a second aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a wafer production device is further proposed. The wafer production device includes the annealing device described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0094] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention within the knowledge scope of those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

Claims

1. Annealing device, characterized in that, Comprising: A furnace body, which defines a processing chamber, and the furnace body includes a preheating zone, a process zone, and a cooling zone; A conveying mechanism, which includes a plurality of first roller shafts. The plurality of first roller shafts are arranged side by side in the processing chamber along the conveying direction, and both ends of each first roller shaft are rotatably connected to the chamber walls on both sides of the processing chamber; Wherein, the first roller shaft is used to carry the wafer carrier, the first roller shaft can abut against the bottom surface of the wafer carrier, and the first roller shaft is driven to rotate to drive the wafer carrier to move, so that the wafer carrier sequentially passes through the preheating zone, the process zone, and the cooling zone.

2. The annealing device according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the first roller shafts is provided with a first transmission part. The conveying mechanism further includes a first transmission shaft, the first transmission shaft extends along the conveying direction, and the first transmission shaft is provided with a plurality of second transmission parts. Each of the second transmission parts cooperates with the first transmission part respectively, so that the rotation of the first transmission shaft drives each first roller shaft to rotate synchronously.

3. The annealing device according to claim 2, wherein, The conveying mechanism further includes a driving member, and the driving member is connected to the first transmission shaft to drive the first transmission shaft to rotate; Wherein, the driving member drives the first transmission shaft to rotate continuously, or the driving member drives the first transmission shaft to rotate intermittently.

4. Annealing device, characterized in that, Comprising: A furnace body, which defines a processing chamber, and the furnace body includes a preheating zone, a process zone, and a cooling zone; A conveying mechanism, which includes a plurality of second roller shafts. At least two of the second roller shafts are rotatably connected to the two chamber walls on both sides of the processing chamber in the conveying direction. One end of the second roller shaft is arranged through the chamber wall, and the other end protrudes from the chamber wall; Wherein, the second roller shaft is used to carry the wafer carrier, and the second roller shafts on both sides can abut against the wafer carrier to support the wafer carrier in the processing chamber. The second roller shaft is driven to rotate to drive the wafer carrier to move, so that the wafer carrier sequentially passes through the preheating zone, the process zone, and the cooling zone.

5. The annealing device according to claim 4, wherein, The wafer carrier includes two side walls parallel to the conveying direction; Wherein, at least one side wall is provided with an abutting protrusion, the abutting protrusion extends along the conveying direction, and the second roller shaft abuts against the lower side surface of the abutting protrusion; And / or, at least one side wall is provided with a plugging groove, the plugging groove extends along the conveying direction, and the second roller shaft is inserted into the plugging groove and abuts against the upper groove wall of the plugging groove.

6. The annealing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each of the second roller shafts is provided with a third transmission part. The conveying mechanism further includes two second transmission shafts, and each of the second transmission shafts includes a fourth transmission part. The second roller shafts arranged on the same chamber wall are connected to the same second transmission shaft. Through the cooperation of the third transmission part and the fourth transmission part, the rotation of the second transmission shaft drives the rotation of each second roller shaft on the corresponding chamber wall.

7. The annealing device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism further includes a driving member, and the driving member is connected to the second transmission shaft to drive the second transmission shaft to rotate; Wherein, the driving member drives the second transmission shaft to rotate continuously, or the driving member drives the second transmission shaft to rotate intermittently.

8. The annealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, A first partition is provided between the preheating zone and the process zone. The first partition is movably connected to the furnace body and is used for separating the preheating zone and the process zone. And / or, a second partition is provided between the process zone and the cooling zone. The second partition is movably connected to the furnace body and is used for separating the process zone and the cooling zone.

9. The annealing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first partition is slidably connected to the furnace body. The first partition can slide into the furnace body in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction to separate the preheating zone and the process zone. Alternatively, the first partition is rotatably connected to the furnace body. The rotation axis of the first partition is parallel to the conveying direction, so that the first partition can rotate into the furnace body in the vertical plane to separate the preheating zone and the process zone. Alternatively, the first partition is rotatably connected to the furnace body. The rotation axis of the first partition is perpendicular to the conveying direction. The first partition is located in the furnace body and can rotate to be parallel to the vertical plane to separate the preheating zone and the process zone. And / or: The second partition is slidably connected to the furnace body. The second partition can slide into the furnace body in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction to separate the process zone and the cooling zone. Alternatively, the second partition is rotatably connected to the furnace body. The rotation axis of the second partition is parallel to the conveying direction, so that the second partition can rotate into the furnace body in the vertical plane to separate the process zone and the cooling zone. Alternatively, the second partition is rotatably connected to the furnace body. The rotation axis of the second partition is perpendicular to the conveying direction. The second partition is located in the furnace body and can rotate to be parallel to the vertical plane to separate the process zone and the cooling zone.

10. The annealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The annealing device includes a plurality of the furnace bodies and a plurality of conveying mechanisms, and one conveying mechanism is provided in each of the furnace bodies. Alternatively, the annealing device includes one furnace body and a plurality of conveying mechanisms, and the plurality of conveying mechanisms are provided in the furnace body.

11. A silicon wafer production device, characterized in that, Including the annealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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