Hollowed-out boat support

Abstract

The utility model provides a hollow boat support, and relates to the technical field of photovoltaic cell preparation. The hollowed-out boat support comprises a hollowed-out boat support body made of ceramic materials, the hollowed-out boat support body comprises an outer frame and a hollowed-out platform, and the outer frame is annular; the hollow platform is arranged in the ring of the outer frame to form a supporting platform for bearing a wafer boat, and a hollow structure on the hollow platform is a combination of at least one regular polygon. The hollowed-out boat support is used in vertical diffusion process equipment, and can effectively prevent stress concentration in an environment with relatively large temperature fluctuation, so that the structural stability of the boat support is ensured, and cracking is avoided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application relates to the technical field of photovoltaic cell preparation, in particular to a hollow boat support. BACKGROUND

[0002] The boat support is a core component of the diffusion process equipment in the photovoltaic industry and is responsible for the transportation of the silicon wafer boat. At present, the boat supports used in the horizontal process equipment are mostly box-shaped structures, such as the boat supports described in the patents with the authorization announcement numbers CN219350167U and CN214848526U. Such structures are designed for horizontal diffusion process equipment and are not suitable for vertical diffusion process equipment. In contrast, the boat supports in vertical diffusion process equipment are usually plate-shaped structures, such as the boat support structures shown in the patents with the authorization announcement numbers CN222071895U and CN220597695U. However, in actual application, these plate-shaped structures are prone to breakage and other problems. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0003] The utility model provides a hollow boat support for vertical diffusion process equipment, which comprises a hollow boat support body made of ceramic material, wherein the hollow boat support body comprises an outer frame and a hollow platform, the outer frame is annular, and the hollow platform is arranged in the ring of the outer frame to form a support platform for carrying a boat, wherein the hollow structure on the hollow platform is a combination of at least one regular polygon.

[0004] Preferably, the hollow structure is a regular hexagonal combination.

[0005] Further, the diameter of the inscribed circle of the regular hexagon is in the range of 40-90 mm.

[0006] Preferably, the outer frame is provided with a gap.

[0007] Preferably, the hollow boat support further comprises an inner frame, the inner frame is a closed annular ring, and the hollow platform is arranged between the outer frame and the inner frame.

[0008] Preferably, the main body of the hollow boat support is provided with a boss, and the boss is used for abutting against an external structure.

[0009] Preferably, the outer frame is in the shape of a regular octagon as a whole.

[0010] Preferably, the hollow boat support is provided with a clearance portion, the clearance portion is used for avoiding the extension of an external support structure, so that the hollow boat support can be stacked on the external support structure.

[0011] Further, the clearance portion is a clearance groove, and a plurality of clearance grooves are uniformly distributed on the lateral side of the outer frame.

[0012] The utility model discloses the technical scheme can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0013] Compared with the plate type boat support in the prior art, the boat support is designed as a hollow structure, on the premise of guaranteeing the bearing capacity, on one hand, the manufacturing cost and weight of the boat support can be reduced simultaneously, on the other hand, the rigidity of the boat support is reduced, the self-adaptive capacity of the boat support is improved, stress can be avoided from being too concentrated under the condition that the temperature difference changes greatly, and it is guaranteed that the boat support will not be broken; in addition, when the reaction gas flows from top to bottom, the hollow boat support can provide sufficient flow space for the reaction gas, and the diffusion process quality and efficiency of the silicon wafer are improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is the schematic view of the hollow boat support in process state in the embodiment one of the application;

[0015] Figure 2 It is the structural schematic view of the hollow boat support in the embodiment two of the application;

[0016] Figure 3 It is the structural schematic view of the hollow boat support in the embodiment three of the application;

[0017] Figure 4 It is the structural schematic view of the hollow boat support in the embodiment four of the application;

[0018] Figure 5 It is the schematic view of the hollow boat support in process state in the embodiment five of the application;

[0019] Figure 6 It is the schematic view of the hollow boat support when being carried and fed in the embodiment six of the application;

[0020] Figure 7 It is the double-layer material loading structure schematic view in the embodiment seven of the application.

[0021] In Figures 1-7 , the application relates to a hollow boat support for a diffusion furnace;

[0022] 1, outer frame;11, gap;2, hollow platform;21, boss;22a, avoiding groove;3, inner frame;4, boat;5a, support seat;5b, support column;6, first heating body;7, second heating body;8, carrying fork. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to facilitate the understanding of the utility model, the utility model will be described more fully below with reference to the relevant drawings. The preferred embodiments of the utility model are shown in the drawings. However, the utility model can be realized in more different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the disclosure of the utility model more thorough and comprehensive.

[0024] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in the description herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application.

[0025] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the first feature is "under", "below" and "underneath" the second feature, which includes the first feature directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or only indicates that the first feature is lower than the second feature in height.

[0026] The boat support is a key component of the diffusion process equipment in the photovoltaic industry, and is a carrier for carrying a crystal boat loaded with silicon wafers. The diffusion process has strict requirements on the boat support, that is, to maintain stable bearing performance in a high temperature environment and to adapt to temperature fluctuations when entering and leaving the furnace. At present, the plate structure boat support commonly used in vertical process equipment has several defects:

[0027] Firstly, the weight of the plate structure boat support is relatively large, which increases the load of the support structure in the furnace and shortens the service life of the support structure. In addition, in order to reduce the load of the support structure, the number of silicon wafers processed at a time needs to be reduced, which indirectly increases the production cost and also increases the raw material cost;

[0028] Secondly, the self-adaptive ability of the plate structure boat support is weak, especially when the temperature fluctuation is large, it is easy to break and other problems;

[0029] Finally, the plate structure boat support will hinder the flow of diffusion process gas, which will adversely affect the processing quality of the silicon wafers.

[0030] In order to overcome the above problems, the present application provides a hollow boat support which can be used to carry a crystal boat 4 in a diffusion process. The hollow boat support is made of ceramic material to meet the temperature requirements of the diffusion process, that is, to ensure that the boat support has good bearing capacity during the diffusion process. The hollow boat support comprises an annular outer frame 1 and a hollow platform 2 arranged in the ring of the outer frame 1, which constitutes a support platform for carrying the crystal boat 4, wherein the hollow structure on the hollow platform 2 is a combination of at least one regular polygon.

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the design scheme of the hollow boat holder, the following will be described in detail the working condition thereof: in the process of the vertical diffusion process equipment, the boat holder 4 loaded with silicon wafers is located on the boat holder, each silicon wafer is vertically and spacedly arranged on the boat holder 4, and the process gas passes through the gap between the silicon wafers from top to bottom to complete the diffusion. Compared with the plate type boat holder in the prior art, the boat holder is designed as a hollow structure in the present application, which can reduce the manufacturing cost and weight of the boat holder on the premise of ensuring the bearing capacity, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the rigidity of the boat holder is reduced, the self-adaptive ability of the boat holder is improved, the stress is avoided from being too concentrated in the case of large temperature difference, and the boat holder is prevented from being broken; finally, when the reaction gas flows from top to bottom, the hollow boat holder can provide sufficient flow space for the reaction gas, thereby improving the diffusion process quality and efficiency of the silicon wafer.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figure 1 The hollow boat holder is made of silicon carbide ceramic material, which includes a circular ring-shaped outer frame 1, the hollow structure is composed of a single regular hexagon, and the hollow structure is integrally formed with the outer frame 1. In the specific loading process, the mechanical hand places a plurality of boat holders 4 on the hollow boat holder, and then the external transfer device places the boat holder 4 and the hollow boat holder as a whole on the support seat 5a of the process cavity, and the bottom of the boat holder 4 corresponds to the position of the support seat 5a.

[0033] Further, the diameter of the incircle of the regular hexagon is in the range of 40mm-90mm. As in some specific embodiments, the diameter of the incircle of the regular hexagon is respectively taken as: 40mm, 50mm, 60mm, 70mm, 80mm, 90mm, and under the condition that other conditions remain unchanged, the process bearing demand can be met.

[0034] The above-mentioned ceramic material can also be an alumina ceramic material, a silicon nitride ceramic material or other ceramic materials, which are not limited in the present application.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figure 2 The hollow structure can also be a combination of a single regular triangle, or as shown in Figure 3 The hollow structure is a combination of a single square; of course, in other embodiments, the hollow structure can also be a combination of a plurality of regular polygons. For example, in an embodiment, as shown in Figure 4 The hollow structure adopts a combination of regular octagons and squares. Of course, for the specific combination form to be adopted, it can be selected according to the specific needs, and the present application does not make a specific limitation thereon.

[0036] It should be noted that when a polygonal structure is adopted, the corners of the boat holder are provided with chamfered structures.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1As shown, the hollow boat support in the above embodiment is used for an externally heated diffusion manufacturing device, that is, the first heating body 6 of the diffusion manufacturing device is arranged on the peripheral side of the boat support and the wafer boat 4.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 6 As shown, a gap 11 is provided on the outer frame 1. By providing the gap 11 on the outer frame 1, the stress generated by the wafer boat 4 due to temperature changes (heating or cooling) can be effectively released.

[0039] In the embodiment of the present application, the hollow boat holder further includes an inner frame 3, which is in the shape of a closed ring, and a hollow platform 2 is provided between the outer frame 1 and the inner frame 3. The hollow boat holder in this solution is used in a dual-heating diffusion manufacturing device, which makes the silicon wafer heated more evenly, thereby improving the stability of the silicon wafer process.

[0040] In a specific embodiment, if Figure 5 As shown, the hollow boat holder includes a circular outer frame 1, a closed circular inner frame 3, and a hollow platform 2 composed of a single hexagon. The hollow platform is located between the outer frame 1 and the inner frame 3. The heating elements of the diffusion processing equipment include a first heating element 6 arranged on the periphery of the boat holder and the wafer boat 4, and a second heating element 7 arranged in the center. In the process state, while the silicon wafer (not shown) is heated by the first heating element 6, the hollow ring on the inner frame 3 provides space for the second heating element 7 to pass through, allowing the second heating element 7 in the center to pass through the hollow boat holder and heat the silicon wafer from the inside. This ensures more uniform heating of the silicon wafer, thereby improving the stability of the silicon wafer process.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present application, Figure 7 As shown, the hollow boat holder is equipped with a boss 21 on its main body, which is used to abut against external structures. By providing this boss 21, during the boat holder manufacturing process, only the boss 21 area can be polished, thereby improving the flatness of the abutting surface on the boss 21, eliminating the need to polish the load-bearing surface. This ensures that the hollow boat holder itself remains stable in the processing position and that the wafer boat 4 is placed stably on the hollow boat holder.

[0042] In a further embodiment of the present application, an avoidance portion is provided on the hollow boat support, which is used to avoid the extension portion of the external support structure so that the hollow boat support can be stacked on the external support structure, thereby increasing the number of silicon wafers processed in a single time by the diffusion manufacturing equipment.

[0043] In one embodiment, if Figure 6As shown, the avoiding part is an avoiding groove 22a, and four avoiding grooves 22a are evenly distributed on the circumferential side of the outer frame 1. As in the present embodiment, the diffusion process equipment can accommodate two layers of crystal boats 4, wherein the outer support column 5b passes through the avoiding groove 22a on the first layer of boat holders, the first layer of boat holders abut on the support positions at the lower part of the support column 5b, and four crystal boats 4 are placed on the first layer of boat holders; the second layer of boat holders are placed on the support positions at the upper part of the support column 5b, and four crystal boats 4 are placed on the second layer of boat holders, thus completing the placement of two layers of crystal boats 4, and the number of silicon wafers processed by the diffusion process equipment in a single time is expanded.

[0044] Meanwhile, the number of avoiding grooves 22a can also be three, five, etc., and the specific number is jointly determined according to the number of crystal boats 4 and the number of support columns 5b, which is not limited in the present application.

[0045] Of course, the avoiding part can also be an avoiding hole (not shown in the drawings), in which case the avoiding hole is arranged on the hollow structure.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown, Figures 6-7 As shown, the outer frame 1 is in the shape of a regular octagon. By arranging the outer frame 1 in the shape of a regular octagon, on the one hand, the manufacturing cost of the hollow boat holder can be further reduced; on the other hand, the regular octagonal boat holder can form sufficient avoiding space on the circumferential side, which can be used as a placement space for thermocouples to facilitate monitoring of the process temperature of the silicon wafers in different areas of the crystal boat 4; furthermore, in the present embodiment, the external transfer device is a carrying fork 8, and the regular octagonal boat holder is convenient for the carrying fork 8 to carry and position, that is, when the automatic material conveying and feeding, the regular octagonal boat holder can be aligned to a specified angle, and then carried, transported and fed by the carrying fork 8, so that the boat holder can be fed at a fixed angle relative to the support column 5b, and the problem of misalignment of the boat holder and the support column 5b leading to failure to feed can be avoided.

[0047] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, replacements and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirits of the present application, and the scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A hollowed-out boat support, characterized by, The hollow boat holder body is made of ceramic material, and comprises: An outer frame (1) which is annular; A hollow platform (2) is arranged in the ring of the outer frame (1) to form a support platform for carrying a wafer boat (4), wherein the hollow structure on the hollow platform (2) is a combination of at least one regular polygon.

2. The hollowed-out boat support according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hollow structure is a combination of regular hexagons.

3. The hollowed-out boat support according to claim 2, characterized in that, The diameter of the inscribed circle of the regular hexagon is in the range of 40mm-90mm.

4. The hollowed-out boat support according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer frame (1) is provided with a gap (11).

5. The hollowed-out boat support according to claim 1, characterized in that, Further comprising an inner frame (3) which is a closed annular, and the hollow platform (2) is arranged between the outer frame (1) and the inner frame (3).

6. The hollowed-out boat support according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hollow boat holder body is provided with a boss (21) which is used to abut with the external structure.

7. The hollowed-out boat support according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer frame (1) is in the shape of a regular octagon as a whole.

8. The hollowed-out boat support according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The hollow boat holder is provided with a avoiding part which is used to avoid the extension of the external support structure, so that the hollow boat holder can be stacked on the external support structure.

9. The hollowed-out boat support according to claim 8, characterized in that The avoiding part is an avoiding groove (22a), and a plurality of avoiding grooves (22a) are uniformly distributed on the circumferential side of the outer frame (1).

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