Furnace tube and heating furnace

Abstract

The utility model provides a furnace tube and a heating furnace. The furnace tube comprises a tube body, a flange assembly, a first sealing piece and heat conduction paste, and a reaction cavity is formed in the tube body. The flange assembly sleeves one end of the pipe body. The first sealing piece is arranged on the outer surface, away from the reaction cavity, of the pipe body and located between the flange assembly and the pipe body. And the heat-conducting paste is arranged in a clearance space between the flange assembly and the pipe body. The heat conduction paste is arranged between the pipe body and the flange assembly, air in the gap space between the pipe body and the flange assembly is replaced by the heat conduction paste, and the heat conduction performance of the heat conduction paste is far higher than that of the air, so that heat transfer between the pipe body and the flange assembly can be improved through the heat conduction paste, and heat is fully transferred to the flange assembly to complete heat dissipation; therefore, the temperature of the furnace tube is reduced and the heat dissipation performance of the furnace tube is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic processing equipment technology, and in particular to a furnace tube and a heating furnace. Background Technology

[0002] The TOPCON process for solar cells requires many medium- and high-temperature equipment, such as LPCVD (Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition), low-pressure horizontal phosphorus diffusion, and low-pressure horizontal oxidation / annealing equipment. These devices operate at temperatures ranging from 600°C to 1050°C. To withstand these high temperatures, the chambers of these devices mostly use furnace tubes or other heat-resistant materials like quartz tubes.

[0003] Currently, furnace tubes typically use sealing structures such as sealing rings and flanges for their openings. To facilitate heat dissipation, annular water channels (i.e., water-cooled flanges) are machined into the flanges to reduce the temperature of the furnace tube at the flange. However, the heat dissipation effect of water-cooled flanges is limited, and obvious failure compression surfaces and carbonization marks still appear on the surface of the sealing ring near the furnace opening. The main reason is that the gap between the quartz tube and the sealing ring is air. Air is a poor conductor of heat, with very low thermal conductivity (only 0.024 W / (m·K)). The existence of these gaps results in a very high contact thermal resistance between the quartz tube (heat-generating component) and the water-cooled flange (heat-dissipating component), severely affecting heat transfer. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, this application proposes a furnace tube and a heating furnace with improved heat dissipation performance.

[0005] One embodiment of this application provides a furnace tube, including a tube body, a flange assembly, a first sealing element, and thermal conductive paste. A reaction chamber is formed inside the tube body, configured to be openable and closable via an external furnace door. The flange assembly is fitted onto one end of the tube body. The first sealing element is disposed on the outer surface of the tube body away from the reaction chamber, and located between the flange assembly and the tube body. A gap space exists in a portion of the area between the flange assembly and the tube body, and the thermal conductive paste is disposed in the gap space.

[0006] In one embodiment, the flange assembly includes a first flange and a second flange. The first flange is fitted onto one end of the pipe body. The second flange is disposed on the side of the first flange near the furnace door and is connected to the first flange.

[0007] In one embodiment, a first groove is provided on the side of the first flange near the pipe body, and a first sealing element is disposed in the first groove. A second groove is provided on the side of the second flange near the furnace door, and a second sealing element is disposed in the second groove.

[0008] In one embodiment, the furnace tube further includes a third seal. A portion of the second flange protrudes from one end of the tube body, and a portion of the flange near the reaction chamber has a third groove, in which the third seal is located.

[0009] In one embodiment, the thermal paste is a silicon-containing thermal paste, a ceramic-filled thermal paste, or a metal-filled thermal paste, and the thermal conductivity of the thermal paste is 1.0 W / (m·K) to 5.0 W / (m·K).

[0010] In one embodiment, a first flange is provided with a first cooling channel, which is arranged around the center of the first flange. A first liquid inlet and a first liquid outlet are provided on the peripheral side of the first flange. The first liquid inlet is connected to one end of the first cooling channel, and the first liquid outlet is connected to the other end of the first cooling channel. The first cooling channel is configured to allow coolant flow, and the coolant is water.

[0011] In one embodiment, the second flange is provided with a second cooling channel, which is arranged around the center of the second flange. The peripheral side of the second flange is provided with a second inlet connector and a second outlet connector. The second inlet connector is connected to one end of the second cooling channel, and the second outlet connector is connected to the other end of the second cooling channel. The second cooling channel is configured to allow coolant flow, and the coolant is water.

[0012] In one embodiment, the furnace tube further includes an insulation layer, which is sleeved on the outer circumferential surface of the tube body.

[0013] One embodiment of this application provides a heating furnace. The heating furnace includes a shell, a furnace door, and a furnace tube as described in any of the above embodiments, with the shell fitted over the outer circumferential surface of the furnace tube. The furnace door is located on the side of the flange assembly away from the reaction chamber and is used to open and close the reaction chamber.

[0014] In one embodiment, the heating furnace further includes a support paddle, a boat support, and a carrier boat disposed within the reaction chamber. The support paddle supports the boat support, the boat support carries the carrier boat, and the carrier boat carries the sheet material.

[0015] This application involves placing thermal grease between the tube body and the flange assembly, filling the gap between them. The air in the gap is replaced by the thermal grease, which has a much higher thermal conductivity than air. Therefore, the thermal grease can improve the heat transfer between the tube body and the flange assembly, allowing heat to be fully transferred to the flange assembly for heat dissipation. This reduces the temperature of the furnace tube and improves its heat dissipation performance. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a furnace tube according to one embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the furnace tube section structure.

[0018] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the furnace tube along line III-III.

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the first or second flange of the furnace tube shown in one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heating furnace according to one embodiment of this application.

[0021] Explanation of main component symbols

[0022] 100: Furnace tube; 10: Tube body; 11: Furnace door; 101: Reaction chamber; 20: Flange assembly; 21: First flange; 22: Second flange; 23: Seal; 210: First groove; 211: First cooling channel; 212: First liquid inlet connector; 213: First liquid outlet connector; 220: Second groove; 221: Third groove; 222: Second cooling channel; 223: Second liquid inlet connector; 224: Second liquid outlet connector; 30: Thermal paste; 31: First seal; 32: Second seal; 33: Third seal; 301: Gap space; 40: Insulation layer; 200: Heating furnace; 201: Outer shell; 202: Support paddle; 203: Boat support; 204: Support boat.

[0023] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, further illustrates the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[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 the embodiments of this application pertain. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application. Where specific conditions are not specified in the embodiments, conventional conditions or conditions recommended by the manufacturer shall apply. Raw materials, reagents, or instruments whose manufacturers are not specified are all conventional products that can be purchased commercially.

[0025] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0026] It will be understood that when a layer is referred to as "on" another layer, it can be directly on that other layer or there can be an intermediate layer in between. Conversely, when a layer is referred to as "directly on" another layer, there is no intermediate layer. When a component is referred to as "fixed to," "mounted to," or "set on" another component, it can be directly on that other component or there can be an intermediate component.

[0027] Embodiments of this application are described herein with reference to cross-sectional views, which are schematic diagrams of idealized embodiments (and intermediate configurations) of this application. Therefore, variations in the shapes illustrated due to manufacturing processes and / or tolerances are foreseeable. Consequently, embodiments of this application should not be construed as limited to the specific shapes of the areas illustrated herein, but should include, for example, deviations in shape due to manufacturing processes. The areas shown in the figures are merely illustrative, and their shapes are not intended to represent the actual shapes of the illustrated devices, nor are they intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0028] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0029] Please see Figures 1 to 3 This application provides a furnace tube 100, which includes a tube body 10, a flange assembly 20, thermal conductive paste 30, and a first sealing element 31. The tube body 10 is a hollow structure, and a reaction chamber 101 is formed inside it. Along the extension direction of the tube body 10, a furnace door 11 may be provided on the outside of one end of the tube body 10 to open and close the reaction chamber 101. The flange assembly 20 is sleeved on one end of the tube body 10. The first sealing element 31 is disposed on the outer surface of the tube body 10 away from the reaction chamber 101, and is located between the flange assembly 20 and the tube body 10. A gap space 301 exists in a portion of the area between the flange assembly 20 and the tube body 10, and the gap space 301 is filled with thermal conductive paste 30.

[0030] By placing thermal grease 30 in the gap space 301 between the tube body 10 and the flange assembly 20, the thermal grease 30 fills the gap space 301 between the tube body 10 and the flange assembly 20, and the air in the gap space 301 is replaced by the thermal grease 30. Since the thermal conductivity of the thermal grease 30 is much higher than that of air, the thermal grease 30 can improve the heat transfer between the tube body 10 and the flange assembly 20, so that the heat can be fully transferred to the flange assembly 20 to complete the heat dissipation, thereby reducing the temperature of the tube body 10 and improving the heat dissipation performance of the furnace tube 100.

[0031] In some embodiments, the thermal conductivity of the thermal paste 30 can be from 1.0 W / (m·K) to 5.0 W / (m·K). The thermal conductivity of the thermal paste 30 within this range is significantly higher than that of air (0.024 W / (m·K)), thus ensuring sufficient heat transfer. The thermal paste 30 can be a conventional or unconventional thermal paste in the art, such as silicon-containing thermal paste, ceramic-filled thermal paste, or metal-filled thermal paste. The ceramic filler in ceramic-filled thermal paste can be, but is not limited to, oxides (such as alumina, zinc oxide), nitrides (such as boron nitride), carbides (such as silicon carbide), etc., and possesses excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties. The metal filler in metal-filled thermal paste can be, but is not limited to, aluminum powder, silver powder, etc., and possesses high thermal conductivity, excellent thermal stability, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion.

[0032] In some embodiments, the thermal paste 30 can be injected into the gap space 301 between the tube body 10 and the flange assembly 20 through a 1mm needle, which is simple and efficient. The thermal paste 30 has a certain degree of chemical inertness and does not react with the tube body 10 at medium or high temperatures, without sintering or oxidation. When disassembling or assembling the tube body 10, the thermal paste 30 can detach on its own, which can effectively protect the flange assembly 20 and allow the flange assembly 20 to be reused multiple times.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the tube body 10 is cylindrical. In other embodiments, the tube body 10 may also be cylindrical or other shapes, and this application is not limited thereto. The material of the tube body 10 may be, but is not limited to, quartz tube, alumina tube, metal tube, etc.

[0034] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the flange assembly 20 includes a first flange 21 and a second flange 22 connected to the first flange 21. The first flange 21 is fitted onto one end of the pipe body 10. In this embodiment, the first flange 21 is fitted onto the end of the pipe body 10 near the furnace door 11. The second flange 22 is connected to the side of the first flange 21 near the furnace door 11. The first flange 21 and the second flange 22 cooperate with the furnace door 11 to seal the pipe body 11, ensuring the sealing and stability of the pipe body 11. The flange connection method is convenient to use, and the detachable design of the flanges also facilitates the inspection and maintenance of the pipe body 10.

[0035] Furthermore, a gap space 301 may be provided between the portion of the surface of the first flange 21 facing the outer peripheral surface of the tube body 10 and the tube body 10. The gap space 301 may be arranged in an annular shape around the circumference of the tube body 10, and correspondingly, the thermal paste 30 may also be arranged in an annular shape around the circumference of the tube body 10.

[0036] Furthermore, a first groove 210 is provided on the side of the first flange 21 near the pipe body 10. The first groove 210 can be formed by the surface portion of the first flange 21 facing the outer peripheral surface of the pipe body 10 and recessed in a direction away from the pipe body 10. A first sealing element 31 is disposed in the first groove 210. The shape of the first sealing element 31 is adapted to the shape of the first groove 210. The shape of the first sealing element 31 can be, but is not limited to, regular or irregular shapes such as circles and squares. The material of the first sealing element 31 can be, but is not limited to, fluororubber, perfluoroether, graphite, metal, etc. The first sealing element 31 can further improve the sealing performance between the first flange 21 and the pipe body 10.

[0037] Furthermore, a second groove 220 is provided on the side of the second flange 22 near the furnace door 11. The second groove 220 can be formed by the recess of the surface portion of the second flange 22 near the furnace door 11 in a direction away from the furnace door 11, and a second sealing element 32 is provided in the second groove 220. The shape of the second sealing element 32 is adapted to the shape of the second groove 220. The shape of the second sealing element 32 can be, but is not limited to, regular or irregular shapes such as circles and squares, and the material of the second sealing element 32 can be, but is not limited to, fluororubber, perfluoroether, graphite, metal, etc. The second sealing element 32 can further improve the sealing performance between the second flange 22 and the furnace door 11, thereby improving the sealing performance of the pipe body 10.

[0038] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the furnace tube 100 also includes a third sealing element 33. A portion of the second flange 22 protrudes from one end of the tube body 10, and a third groove 221 is provided on the side of this portion of the tube near the reaction chamber 101. The third groove 221 can be formed by the recessed portion of the second flange 22 protruding from the tube body 10 towards the reaction chamber 101, and the third sealing element 33 is disposed in the third groove 221. The shape of the third sealing element 33 is adapted to the shape of the third groove 221. The shape of the third sealing element 33 can be, but is not limited to, a regular or irregular shape such as a circle or square, and the material of the third sealing element 33 can be, but is not limited to, fluororubber, perfluoroether, graphite, metal, etc. The third sealing element 33 can further improve the sealing performance between the second flange 22 and the tube body 10.

[0039] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the first flange 21 is approximately circular. A first cooling channel 211 is provided inside the first flange 21, which is arranged around the center of the first flange 21. A first liquid inlet connector 212 and a first liquid outlet connector 213 are provided on the peripheral side of the first flange 21, spaced apart from the first liquid inlet connector 212. The first liquid inlet connector 212 is connected to one end of the first cooling channel 211, and the first liquid outlet connector 213 is connected to the other end of the first cooling channel 211. The first liquid inlet connector 212 is used to introduce coolant, and it protrudes a certain distance from the peripheral side of the first flange 21 to facilitate the connection of an external pipe for coolant introduction. The first liquid outlet connector 213 is used to discharge the coolant after heat absorption, and it also protrudes a certain distance from the peripheral side of the first flange 21 to facilitate the collection of the discharged coolant by an external pipe. The coolant flows in the first cooling channel 211 to cool the first flange 21 and the tube body 10, improving the heat dissipation performance of the furnace tube 100. Furthermore, the flow of coolant in the first cooling channel 211 can reduce the temperature of the first seal 31, thereby improving the problem of failure compression surfaces and carbonization marks appearing on the surface of the first seal 31 facing the tube body 10. The coolant in the first cooling channel 211 can be, but is not limited to, water.

[0040] Furthermore, the first flange 21 can be, but is not limited to, a ceramic flange and a metal flange. The ceramic flange can be, but is not limited to, a silicon carbide flange, alumina flange, and zirconia flange, while the metal flange can be, but is not limited to, a stainless steel flange. Ceramic flanges have stable chemical properties, will not contaminate the products inside the pipe body 10, have a long service life, and can reduce maintenance frequency. Metal flanges have high mechanical strength, good ductility, and low maintenance costs.

[0041] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the second flange 22 is approximately circular. A second cooling channel 222 is provided inside the second flange 22, which is arranged around the center of the second flange 22. A second liquid inlet connector 223 and a second liquid outlet connector 224 are provided on the peripheral side of the second flange 22. The second liquid inlet connector 223 is connected to one end of the second cooling channel 220, and the second liquid outlet connector 224 is connected to the other end of the second cooling channel 220. The second liquid inlet connector 223 is used to introduce coolant, and it protrudes a certain distance from the peripheral side of the second flange 22 to facilitate the connection of an external pipe for coolant introduction. The second liquid outlet connector 224 is used to discharge the coolant after heat absorption, and it also protrudes a certain distance from the peripheral side of the second flange 22 to facilitate the collection of the discharged coolant by an external pipe. The coolant flows in the second cooling channel 222 to further cool the second flange 22 and the tube body 10, improving the heat dissipation performance of the furnace tube 100. Furthermore, the flow of coolant in the second cooling channel 222 can reduce the temperature of the second seal 32 and the third seal 33, thereby improving the stability of the second seal 32 and the third seal 33 and extending their service life. The coolant in the second cooling channel 220 can be, but is not limited to, water.

[0042] Furthermore, the second flange 22 can be, but is not limited to, a ceramic flange and a metal flange. The ceramic flange can be, but is not limited to, a silicon carbide flange, alumina flange, and zirconia flange, while the metal flange can be, but is not limited to, a stainless steel flange. Ceramic flanges have stable chemical properties, will not contaminate the products inside the pipe body 10, have a long service life, and can reduce maintenance frequency. Metal flanges have high mechanical strength, good ductility, and low maintenance costs.

[0043] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the furnace tube 100 also includes a heat insulation layer 40, which can be sleeved on the outer circumferential surface of the tube body 10. When the tube body 10 is heated, the heat insulation layer 40 is used to keep the tube body 10 warm to ensure that the reaction in the reaction chamber 101 proceeds normally. The heat insulation layer 40 can be a high-temperature resistant fiber insulation blanket.

[0044] Please see Figure 5 The second aspect of this application provides a heating furnace 200, which includes a housing 201, a furnace door 11, and a furnace tube 100 as described in any of the above embodiments. The housing 201 is fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the furnace tube 100. The furnace door 11 is disposed on the side of the flange assembly 20 (second flange 22) away from the reaction chamber 101, and is used to open and close the reaction chamber 101.

[0045] In some embodiments, the furnace 200 can be used to perform a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) process to deposit a thin film on the surface of a sheet material (not shown), which may be, but is not limited to, a silicon wafer. Of course, in other embodiments, the furnace 200 can be used to perform other processes.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, when the heating furnace 200 performs LPCVD, the heating furnace 200 also includes a support paddle 202, a boat support 203, and a carrier boat 204 disposed within the reaction chamber 101 of the tube body 10. The support paddle 202 supports the boat support 203, the boat support 203 carries the carrier boat 204, and the carrier boat 204 carries sheet materials. The support paddle 202 can extend along the extension direction of the reaction chamber 101 to the furnace door 11 and extend through the furnace door 11 to the outside of the reaction chamber 101. The boat support 203 can extend along the extension direction of the reaction chamber 101, and can carry multiple carrier boats 204. Multiple carrier boats 204 can be arranged sequentially along the extension direction of the reaction chamber 101, and each carrier boat 204 can carry multiple sheet materials. The support paddle 60, boat support 70, and carrier boat 80 can all be made of quartz.

[0047] In this embodiment of the application, the furnace tube 100 and the heating furnace 200 are equipped with thermal grease 30 between the tube body 10 and the flange assembly 20. The thermal grease 30 fills the gap space 301 between the tube body 10 and the flange assembly 20, and the air in the gap space 301 is replaced by the thermal grease 30. Since the thermal conductivity of the thermal grease 30 is much higher than that of air, the thermal grease 30 can improve the heat transfer between the tube body 10 and the flange assembly 20, so that the heat can be fully transferred to the flange assembly 20 to complete the heat dissipation, thereby reducing the temperature of the furnace tube 100 and improving the heat dissipation performance of the furnace tube 100.

[0048] The above description describes some specific embodiments of this application, but in actual applications, the application should not be limited to these embodiments. For those skilled in the art, other modifications and alterations made based on the technical concept of this application should fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A furnace tube, characterized in that, include: The tube body has a reaction chamber inside, which is configured to be opened and closed through an external furnace door; A flange assembly, wherein the flange assembly is sleeved on one end of the pipe body; A first sealing element is disposed on the outer surface of the tube body away from the reaction chamber and located between the flange assembly and the tube body; and Thermal grease is provided in a gap space between the flange assembly and the pipe body.

2. The furnace tube as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The flange assembly includes a first flange and a second flange, wherein the first flange is sleeved on one end of the pipe body; The second flange is disposed on the side of the first flange near the furnace door and is connected to the first flange.

3. The furnace tube as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first flange has a first groove on the side near the pipe body, and the first sealing element is disposed in the first groove; The second flange has a second groove on the side near the furnace door, and the second groove is provided with a second sealing element.

4. The furnace tube as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The furnace tube also includes a third sealing element. A portion of the second flange protrudes from one end of the tube body, and a third groove is provided on the side of the portion of the flange closest to the reaction chamber. The third sealing element is located in the third groove.

5. The furnace tube as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The thermal paste is a silicon-containing thermal paste, a ceramic-filled thermal paste, or a metal-filled thermal paste, and the thermal conductivity of the thermal paste is 1.0 W / (m·K) to 5.0 W / (m·K).

6. The furnace tube as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first flange is provided with a first cooling channel, which is arranged around the center of the first flange. The peripheral side of the first flange is provided with a first liquid inlet and a first liquid outlet. The first liquid inlet is connected to one end of the first cooling channel, and the first liquid outlet is connected to the other end of the first cooling channel. The first cooling channel is configured to allow coolant to flow, and the coolant is water.

7. The furnace tube as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The second flange is provided with a second cooling channel, which is arranged around the center of the second flange. The peripheral side of the second flange is provided with a second liquid inlet and a second liquid outlet. The second liquid inlet is connected to one end of the second cooling channel, and the second liquid outlet is connected to the other end of the second cooling channel. The second cooling channel is configured to allow coolant to flow, and the coolant is water.

8. The furnace tube as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The furnace tube also includes an insulation layer, which is sleeved on the outer circumference of the tube body.

9. A heating furnace, characterized in that, The furnace includes a housing, a furnace door, and a furnace tube as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the housing is fitted over the outer circumferential surface of the furnace tube, and the furnace door is located on the side of the flange assembly away from the reaction chamber for opening and closing the reaction chamber.

10. The heating furnace as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The heating furnace also includes a support paddle, a boat support, and a carrier boat disposed within the reaction chamber. The support paddle supports the boat support, the boat support carries the carrier boat, and the carrier boat carries sheet material.

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