Feeding device of crystal furnace

Abstract

A feeding device of a crystal furnace relates to the technical field of artificial crystal furnaces, and is characterized in that an outer barrel is arranged on the outer edge surface of the middle lower part of an inner barrel, so that the feeding device is divided into two layers, the outer layer is a material storage area, the inner layer is a feeding area, and silicon materials on the outer layer are sucked into a feeding barrel on the inner layer through pressure difference between the outer layer and the inner layer; the inner layer and the outer layer are connected through a vacuum valve and a pipeline, the silicon material on the outer layer is conveyed into the feeding cylinder through the pipeline in the mode that pressurization is carried out on the storage area of the outer layer and vacuumizing is carried out on the area of the inner layer, and therefore the silicon material enters the furnace body. The energy consumption in the cooling and heating process of the furnace body is reduced, the production cost is effectively reduced, the feeding is more accurate through the control of the vacuum valve, and the feeding device can be suitable for feeding crystal furnaces of different models and sizes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of artificial crystal furnace technology, specifically to a feeding device for a crystal furnace. Background Technology

[0002] Taking polycrystalline / monocrystalline silicon as an example, in the traditional production process, silicon raw materials are loaded into a quartz crucible and melted at once. After the melting is completed, the crystal is pulled using the Czochralski method, such as in a single crystal furnace or a core material furnace that pulls multiple silicon cores at the same time.

[0003] During the production process, the effective quality of crystal growth is limited by the maximum feed rate, which is determined by the size of the quartz crucible. The weight of silicon material loaded into the quartz crucible is the maximum feed rate. Therefore, the larger the feed rate, the lower the proportion of the quartz crucible cost in the total cost, resulting in a larger effective weight ratio of the produced crystal, thus reducing costs. Because the solid silicon blocks become liquid during the melting process, the space occupied by the gaps between the blocks is released, making it impossible to feed the full amount of silicon in a single operation.

[0004] To improve crystal production efficiency, most existing production processes employ secondary feeders to address the aforementioned issues. After feeding with the secondary feeder, the feeder must be removed and refilled. This process is repeated for large crucibles, and the transfer feeder and feeding process significantly impact production efficiency and time, failing to meet the demands of high-efficiency production.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a feeding device that can continuously and stably feed silicon material into the equipment multiple times under high-temperature heating conditions, so as to achieve safer, more efficient and pollution-free production operations and reduce production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, this utility model discloses a feeding device for a crystal furnace. This utility model can perform multiple feedings under high temperature heating after a single feeding. Compared with existing feeding devices, it can feed more times, the feeding process is more convenient, effectively saves feeding preparation time, and improves work efficiency.

[0007] To achieve the aforementioned objective, this utility model adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A charging device for a crystal furnace includes a charging cylinder lifting mechanism, a charging pipe, a vacuum pipe, an inner cylinder, a charging / gas filling port, an outer cylinder, and a charging cylinder. The upper end of the inner cylinder is provided with an inner cylinder cover plate. The charging cylinder lifting mechanism is located on top of the inner cylinder cover plate. A lower flange is provided on the outer edge surface of the lower end of the inner cylinder. A charging cylinder is located in the middle of the inner cylinder. A limiting ring is provided on the outer edge surface of the charging cylinder. A guide rod is located in the middle of the charging cylinder. The lower end of the guide rod is connected to a conical sleeve located at the lower end of the charging cylinder. The lower end of a steel wire rope in the charging cylinder lifting mechanism passes through the inner cylinder cover plate and connects to the upper end of the guide rod located in the inner cylinder. The steel wire rope sequentially drives the guide rod, the conical sleeve, and the charging cylinder to move up and down within the inner cylinder. The outer cylinder is fitted onto the lower middle part of the outer edge of the inner cylinder. Upper and lower connecting plates for the inner and outer cylinders are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the outer cylinder. These connecting plates create a sealed storage chamber between the inner edge of the outer cylinder and the outer edge of the inner cylinder. A feeding pipe, a vacuum pipe, and a feeding / air filling port are respectively provided on the upper connecting plates of the inner and outer cylinders. The inlet of the feeding pipe extends to the lower middle part of the storage chamber, and the outlet of the feeding pipe passes through the upper cover plate of the inner cylinder and extends into the feeding cylinder. One end of the vacuum pipe connects to the storage chamber, and the other end passes through the upper cover plate of the inner cylinder and connects to the inner cylinder. Vacuum valves are provided on both the feeding pipe and the vacuum pipe.

[0009] The feeding device of the crystal furnace has protective layers on the inner edge of the outer cylinder and the outer edge of the inner cylinder at the storage chamber.

[0010] The feeding device for the crystal furnace, wherein the protective layer is a PP board or a protective coating.

[0011] The feeding device for the crystal furnace, wherein the vacuum valve is a PVC valve or a plastic valve.

[0012] The feeding device of the crystal furnace, wherein the feeding pipe and the vacuum pipe are any one of PVC pipe, PPR pipe or polytetrafluoroethylene pipe.

[0013] The feeding device for the crystal furnace has a protective tube sleeved on the outer edge of the guide rod.

[0014] The feeding device of the crystal furnace has the inner edge of the inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plate and the outer edge of the inner cylinder connected together by welding. The outer ring on the upper part of the inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plate is fixed to the lower part of the outer cylinder lower end flange by connecting bolts. A sealing ring is provided between the lower end flange of the outer cylinder and the inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plate.

[0015] The feeding device of the crystal furnace has flanges at the upper ends of the outer cylinder and inner cylinder respectively connected to the connecting plates of the inner and outer cylinders by bolts. Sealing rings are provided at the connection points between the flanges at the upper ends of the outer and inner cylinders and the connecting plates of the inner and outer cylinders.

[0016] The feeding device of the crystal furnace has an electrical control cabinet on the outer edge of the outer cylinder.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this utility model by adopting the above technical solution are:

[0018] This invention features an outer cylinder on the lower outer edge of the inner cylinder, dividing the feeding device into two layers: an outer layer for storage and an inner layer for feeding. A pressure difference between the outer and inner layers draws silicon material from the outer layer into the inner feeding cylinder. A vacuum valve connects the inner and outer layers to a pipeline. By pressurizing the outer storage area and evacuating the inner area, the silicon material is transported through the pipeline to the feeding cylinder, thus entering the furnace. This invention enables multiple replenishments of silicon material within the furnace without cooling, reducing energy consumption during furnace cooling and heating, effectively lowering production costs. Vacuum valve control ensures more precise feeding, making it suitable for feeding different models and sizes of crystal furnaces.

[0019] The feeding device provided by this utility model has the characteristics of reasonable structure, no pollution, safety, high efficiency, and convenience. It can feed multiple times under high temperature heating after one feeding. Compared with the existing feeding devices, it can feed more times and the feeding process is more convenient. It effectively saves feeding preparation time and improves work efficiency. It also has the advantages of flexible use, convenience and high degree of automation, and solves the problems existing in the prior art. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Front view structural diagram;

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the left-side view structure;

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the AA cross-sectional structure;

[0024] In the diagram: 1. Feeding cylinder lifting mechanism; 2. Feeding pipe; 3. Vacuuming pipe; 4. Vacuum valve; 5. Inner cylinder; 6. Feeding / air filling port; 7. Upper connecting plate of inner and outer cylinders; 8. Electrical control cabinet; 9. Outer cylinder; 10. Lower flange; 11. Lower connecting plate of inner and outer cylinders; 12. Upper cover plate of inner cylinder; 13. Steel wire rope; 14. Feeding cylinder; 15. Storage chamber; 16. Conical sleeve; 17. Protective layer; 18. Limiting ring; 19. Protective pipe; 20. Guide rod. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention can be explained in more detail by referring to the following embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0026] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center", "side", "length", "width", "height", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "side", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0027] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0028] It should be noted that this application is an improvement on the application filed by the applicant on September 30, 2023, for a feeding device for an artificial crystal furnace (patent number ZL202322659033.4). The technical content of this application overlaps with that of the prior patent application, and will not be repeated here.

[0029] Combined with appendix Figures 1-4The present invention discloses a feeding device for a crystal furnace, comprising a feeding cylinder lifting mechanism 1, a feeding pipe 2, a vacuum pipe 3, an inner cylinder 5, a feeding / gas filling port 6, an outer cylinder 9, and a feeding cylinder 14. The upper end of the inner cylinder 5 is provided with an inner cylinder upper cover plate 12, and the feeding cylinder lifting mechanism 1 is located on top of the inner cylinder upper cover plate 12. A lower flange 10 is provided on the outer edge surface of the lower end of the inner cylinder 5. The feeding cylinder 14 is located in the middle of the inner cylinder 5, and a limiting ring 18 is provided on the outer edge surface of the feeding cylinder 14. A guide rod 20 is located in the middle of the feeding cylinder 14, and the lower end of the guide rod 20 is connected to a conical sleeve 16 located at the lower end of the feeding cylinder 14. The lower end of a steel wire rope 13 in the feeding cylinder lifting mechanism 1 passes through the inner cylinder upper cover plate 12 and connects to the upper end of the guide rod 20 located in the inner cylinder 5. The steel wire rope 13 sequentially drives the guide rod 20, the conical sleeve 16, and the feeding cylinder. 14. The outer cylinder 9 is sleeved on the lower middle part of the outer edge of the inner cylinder 5. Inner and outer cylinder upper connecting plates 7 and inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plates 11 are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the outer cylinder 9. The arrangement of the inner and outer cylinder upper connecting plates 7 and inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plates 11 forms a sealed storage cavity 15 between the inner edge of the outer cylinder 9 and the outer edge of the inner cylinder 5. The inner and outer cylinder upper connecting plates 7 are respectively... The device is equipped with a feeding pipe 2, a vacuum pipe 3, and a feeding / air filling port 6. The inlet of the feeding pipe 2 extends to the lower middle part of the storage chamber 15, and the outlet of the feeding pipe 2 passes through the upper cover plate 12 of the inner cylinder and extends into the feeding cylinder 14. One end of the vacuum pipe 3 is connected to the storage chamber 15, and the other end of the vacuum pipe 3 passes through the upper cover plate 12 of the inner cylinder and is connected to the inner cylinder 5. Vacuum valves 4 are respectively provided on the feeding pipe 2 and the vacuum pipe 3.

[0030] When implementing, such as Figure 4 As shown, protective layers 17 are respectively provided on the inner edge of the outer cylinder 9 and the outer edge of the inner cylinder 5 at the storage cavity 15. The protective layer 17 is a PP board or a protective coating, which can prevent the silicon material from being contaminated.

[0031] Furthermore, to prevent contamination of the silicon material, the vacuum valve 4 is selected as a PVC valve or a plastic valve. The feeding pipe 2 and the vacuuming pipe 3 are any one of PVC pipe, PPR pipe, or polytetrafluoroethylene pipe. A protective tube 19 is sleeved on the outer edge of the guide rod 20.

[0032] Furthermore, in order to improve the sealing effect, the inner edge of the inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plate 11 is connected to the outer edge of the inner cylinder 5 by welding. The outer ring on the inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plate 11 is fixed to the bottom of the lower end flange of the outer cylinder 9 by connecting bolts. A sealing ring is provided between the lower end flange of the outer cylinder 9 and the inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plate 11.

[0033] The flanges at the upper ends of the outer cylinder 9 and the inner cylinder 5 are respectively bolted to the bottom of the connecting plates 7 on the inner and outer cylinders. Sealing rings are provided at the connection points between the flanges at the upper ends of the outer cylinder 9 and the inner cylinder 5 and the bottom of the connecting plates 7 on the inner and outer cylinders.

[0034] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, an electrical control cabinet 8 is provided on the outer edge surface of the outer cylinder 9. In practice, the electrical control cabinet 8 is connected to the vacuum valve 4 and the feeding cylinder lifting mechanism 1, and is also connected to the control system of the crystal furnace.

[0035] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figure 3, when the feeding / air inlet 6 is used as a feeding port, a feeding funnel can be installed at the feeding port during feeding. The feeding funnel is a combination of a steel funnel and a quartz funnel, or it can be made of materials that do not contaminate the silicon material, such as PVC, PPR, or polytetrafluoroethylene. After feeding is completed, the feeding port is sealed with a cover plate. When it is necessary to inflate the storage chamber 15, the cover plate is removed, and the feeding / air inlet 6 is then used as an air inlet. In practice, the feeding port and the air inlet can be the same or separate.

[0036] During implementation, the pipe connecting the feeding cylinder 14 and the feeding pipe 2 is made of steel with a quartz tube inside, to ensure that the feeding pipe 2 is always inside the feeding cylinder 14 during the lifting and lowering process of the feeding cylinder 14.

[0037] This invention utilizes an outer cylinder 9 located on the lower outer edge of the inner cylinder 5, dividing the feeding device into two layers: an outer layer for storage and an inner layer for feeding. A pressure difference between the outer and inner layers draws silicon material from the outer layer into the feeding cylinder 14 of the inner layer. The inner and outer layers are connected by a vacuum valve 4 and a pipeline. By pressurizing the outer storage area and evacuating the inner area, the silicon material is transported through the pipeline to the feeding cylinder 14, thus entering the furnace body. This invention enables multiple replenishments of silicon material within the furnace without cooling, reducing energy consumption during furnace cooling and heating, effectively lowering production costs. The vacuum valve 4 ensures precise feeding, making it suitable for feeding crystal furnaces of different models and sizes.

[0038] The feeding device provided by this utility model has the characteristics of reasonable structure, no pollution, safety, high efficiency, and convenience. It can feed multiple times under high temperature heating after one feeding. Compared with the existing feeding devices, it can feed more times and the feeding process is more convenient. It effectively saves feeding preparation time and improves work efficiency. It also has the advantages of flexible use, convenience and high degree of automation, and solves the problems existing in the prior art.

[0039] In implementation, silicon material is added to the storage chamber 15 through the feeding / gas filling port 6. After the storage chamber 15 is full, the feeding funnel on the feeding / gas filling port 6 is removed, and the inlet of the feeding / gas filling port 6 is sealed with a cover plate. After connecting the feeding device described in this application to the furnace chamber of the crystal furnace (the lower flange 10 in this application is connected to the flange in the crystal furnace chamber, not shown in the attached drawings), the vacuum valve 4 on the vacuum extraction pipe 3 is opened, and the vacuum valve 4 on the feeding pipe 2 is closed. The vacuum pump on the crystal furnace then evacuates both the inner cylinder 5 and the outer cylinder 9 to a vacuum state. After vacuuming is completed, the vacuum valve 4 on the vacuuming pipe 3 is closed. The feeding cylinder 14 inside the inner cylinder 5 is lowered to the feeding position by the feeding cylinder lifting mechanism 1. The feeding cylinder lifting mechanism 1 continues to drive the feeding cylinder 14 to fall, opening the conical sleeve 16 located below the feeding cylinder 14, so that a certain gap is formed between the conical sleeve 16 and the feeding cylinder 14, so that the silicon material can fall into the crucible through this gap. Then, the vacuum valve 4 on the feeding pipe 2 is opened, and pressure is applied to the storage chamber 15 through the feeding / gas filling port 6. At the same time, the vacuum pump on the crystal furnace works simultaneously, so that a pressure difference is formed between the storage chamber 15 and the feeding cylinder 14. Under the action of the pressure difference, the granular or powdered silicon material in the storage chamber 15 is drawn into the feeding cylinder 14 located in the inner cylinder 5 through the feeding pipe 2 located in the storage chamber 15. Material is added to the crucible through the gap formed between the conical sleeve 16 and the feeding cylinder 14. After a certain amount of material is added, the feeding cylinder lifting mechanism 1 drives the feeding cylinder 14 upward, closing the gap between the conical sleeve 16 and the feeding cylinder 14, at which point the feeding process stops. Simultaneously, the vacuum valve 4 and the feeding / gas filling port 6 on the feeding pipe 2 are closed, completing the entire feeding process. The feeding cylinder lifting mechanism 1 continues to drive the feeding cylinder 14 upward, lifting it into the inner cylinder 5. After the silicon material inside the crucible has melted, this action is repeated to add material again.

[0040] The parts not detailed above are existing technologies and therefore have not been described in detail.

[0041] The embodiments selected herein for the purposes of disclosing this invention are currently considered suitable, but it should be understood that this invention is intended to include all variations and modifications of the embodiments falling within the scope of this concept and invention.

Claims

1. A feeding device for a crystal furnace, comprising a feeding cylinder lifting mechanism (1), a feeding pipe (2), a vacuum pipe (3), an inner cylinder (5), a feeding / gas filling port (6), an outer cylinder (9), and a feeding cylinder (14), characterized in that: The upper end of the inner cylinder (5) is provided with an inner cylinder upper cover plate (12), and a feeding cylinder lifting mechanism (1) is provided on the upper cover plate (12). A lower flange (10) is provided on the outer edge surface of the lower end of the inner cylinder (5). A feeding cylinder (14) is provided in the middle of the inner cylinder (5). A limiting ring (18) is provided on the outer edge surface of the feeding cylinder (14). A guide rod (20) is provided in the middle of the feeding cylinder (14). The lower part of the guide rod (20) is... The end is connected to the cone sleeve (16) located at the lower end of the feeding cylinder (14). The lower end of the wire rope (13) in the feeding cylinder lifting mechanism (1) passes through the upper cover plate (12) of the inner cylinder and connects to the upper end of the guide rod (20) located in the inner cylinder (5). Through the wire rope (13), the guide rod (20), the cone sleeve (16) and the feeding cylinder (14) are driven to move up and down in the inner cylinder (5) in sequence. The outer cylinder (9) is sleeved on the middle and lower part of the outer edge of the inner cylinder (5). The outer cylinder (9) has an inner and outer cylinder upper connecting plate (7) and an inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plate (11) at its upper and lower ends, respectively. The inner and outer cylinder upper connecting plate (7) and the inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plate (11) form a sealed storage cavity (15) between the inner edge of the outer cylinder (9) and the outer edge of the inner cylinder (5). The inner and outer cylinder upper connecting plate (7) is provided with a feeding pipe (2), a vacuum pipe (3) and a feeding / filling pipe, respectively. Air inlet (6), the inlet of the feeding pipe (2) extends to the middle and lower part of the storage chamber (15), the outlet of the feeding pipe (2) passes through the upper cover plate (12) of the inner cylinder and extends into the feeding cylinder (14), one end of the vacuum pipe (3) is connected to the storage chamber (15), and the other end of the vacuum pipe (3) passes through the upper cover plate (12) of the inner cylinder and connects to the inner cylinder (5). Vacuum valves (4) are respectively provided on the feeding pipe (2) and the vacuum pipe (3).

2. The feeding device for the crystal furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: Protective layers (17) are provided on the inner edge of the outer cylinder (9) and the outer edge of the inner cylinder (5) at the storage cavity (15).

3. The feeding device for the crystal furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that: The protective layer (17) is a PP board or a protective coating.

4. The feeding device for the crystal furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum valve (4) is a PVC valve or a plastic valve.

5. The feeding device for the crystal furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding pipe (2) and the vacuuming pipe (3) are any one of PVC pipe, PPR pipe or polytetrafluoroethylene pipe.

6. The feeding device for the crystal furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: A protective tube (19) is fitted onto the outer edge of the guide rod (20).

7. The feeding device for the crystal furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner edge of the inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plate (11) is connected to the outer edge of the inner cylinder (5) by welding. The outer ring on the inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plate (11) is fixed to the bottom of the lower end flange of the outer cylinder (9) by connecting bolts. A sealing ring is provided between the lower end flange of the outer cylinder (9) and the inner and outer cylinder lower connecting plate (11).

8. The feeding device for the crystal furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flanges at the upper ends of the outer cylinder (9) and the inner cylinder (5) are respectively connected to the connecting plates (7) on the inner and outer cylinders by bolts. Sealing rings are provided at the connection points between the flanges at the upper ends of the outer cylinder (9) and the flanges at the upper ends of the inner cylinder (5) and the connecting plates (7) on the inner and outer cylinders.

9. The feeding device for the crystal furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: An electrical control cabinet (8) is provided on the outer edge surface of the outer cylinder (9).

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