Open type air curtain sealing structure
The open air curtain sealing structure with multi-stage air curtain chambers and air knife mechanism solves the problem of process gas leakage in dry etching, improves safety and production capacity, and ensures the continuity and safety of silicon wafer etching.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202423275488.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-13
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-30
AI Technical Summary
In the dry etching process, the open cavity design may cause process gas leakage, resulting in pollution and safety hazards. Existing sealed structures cannot balance production capacity improvement and safety.
An open air curtain sealing structure consisting of multi-stage air curtain chambers and air knife mechanism is adopted. By adjusting the air curtain pressure and gas circulation system, a multi-layer air curtain seal is formed to prevent process gas leakage. The gas flow rate and speed are controlled by pressure sensors and electronically controlled valves.
It effectively prevents process gas leakage, ensuring safety, while enabling continuous etching of silicon wafers and increasing the production capacity of etching equipment.
Smart Images
Figure CN223798634U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The utility model relates to an open air curtain sealing structure. BACKGROUND
[0002] Photovoltaic cell production needs to go through multiple processes, including etching process, which is an important step to realize cell structure manufacturing and function. The traditional etching process uses wet etching (its reaction principle is to react with acid and alkali liquid and silicon wafer to achieve the desired etching effect and shape). A new type of etching process is dry etching by directly contacting process gas with silicon wafer. The etching silicon wafer reaction chamber is the main reaction place and is the important core equipment for etching silicon wafer. Process gas and silicon wafer are continuously passed through the process cavity for dry etching. During the dry etching process, the process gas is required to be continuously introduced without leakage to cause gas pollution. The traditional scheme to prevent gas leakage or isolate gas is to use a structural sealing mechanism, also known as a closed sealing mechanism. The gas does not leak, but also isolates the possibility of other substances passing through, which reduces the production capacity of the equipment.
[0003] In the design of the process cavity of the new etching process, in order to fully utilize the fast reaction characteristics of the gas and the silicon wafer, a continuous gas inlet and a continuous wafer inlet are used, which can greatly improve the etching efficiency (currently, 20wt% F2 is used to etch a 300nm polycrystalline silicon layer, which only takes 3-6s). However, this method requires the cavity and the outside to be open to ensure that there is a space gap for the silicon wafer to continuously enter and exit the cavity, which may cause the process gas in the process cavity to leak to the outside along the open gap, causing gas pollution and even poisoning personnel. UTILITY MODEL CONTENT
[0004] The utility model aims to provide an open air curtain sealing structure, which can effectively prevent process gas from leaking to the outside of the process cavity during the continuous passage of the reaction object through the isolation area and the process area.
[0005] Technical scheme: The open air curtain sealing structure comprises a plurality of front air curtain chambers arranged in the direction of the process cavity inlet; a plurality of rear air curtain chambers arranged in the direction of the process cavity outlet; an air inlet pipeline arranged between adjacent air curtain chambers; and a recovery pipeline and / or a waste discharge pipeline connected with the corresponding air curtain chamber.
[0006] The air inlet pipeline uses a straight, curved or irregular air knife mechanism to spray air, and the air knife opening covers the width direction of the process cavity.
[0007] The air knife mechanism includes but is not limited to a double air knife mechanism and a single air knife mechanism.
[0008] The air outlet angle of the air knife mechanism is adjustable, and the air knife mechanism introduces the gas into the corresponding air curtain chamber through the adjustable air outlet angle.
[0009] The included angle between the air outlet direction of the air knife mechanism and the air inlet direction of the upper end thereof is 100-160 degrees.
[0010] The multi-stage front air curtain chamber and the multi-stage rear air curtain chamber are symmetrically arranged or asymmetrically arranged, the air pressure of the isolation air curtain formed in the outermost air curtain chamber is greater than the atmospheric pressure, and the air pressure of the isolation air curtain formed in the air curtain chamber closest to the process cavity is greater than the pressure of the process cavity.
[0011] A pressure sensor is further arranged in each air curtain chamber, and an electric control valve and a flow meter are further arranged on each air inlet pipeline, the recovery pipeline and the waste discharge pipeline; the pressure sensor, the electric control valve and the flow meter are connected with an external control device, the inlet and outlet speeds and the flow of the isolation gas are controlled, and the pressure of each air curtain chamber is ensured to be within a required range.
[0012] Beneficial effects: compared with the prior art, the utility model has the following effects: the utility model discloses a specific air curtain sealing structure on the two sides of the process cavity is used to seal the process gas in the process cavity, can effectively prevent the process gas from leaking to the outside of the process cavity, realizes the safety of process production, and makes the gas etching process of the silicon wafer continuously run, thereby improving the production capacity of the etching equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0013] Fig. 1 It is the structural principle view of the air curtain sealing structure of the utility model;
[0014] Fig. 2 It is the corresponding pipeline arrangement structure schematic view of each air inlet pipeline in the utility model;
[0015] Fig. 3 It is the structure schematic view of the air outlet of the single air knife mechanism in the utility model;
[0016] Fig. 4 It is the structure schematic view of the single air knife mechanism in the utility model;
[0017] Fig. 5 It is the structure schematic view of the double air knife mechanism in the utility model;
[0018] Fig. 6 It is the structure schematic view of the air outlet of the double air knife mechanism in the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] As Figs. 1-6As shown, the utility model discloses open type air curtain sealing structure, air curtain sealing structure includes setting in the front air curtain chamber I1 of process cavity 4 feed side direction, front air curtain chamber II2 and front air curtain chamber III 3, front air curtain chamber I1, front air curtain chamber II2 and front air curtain chamber III 3 gradually close to the direction of process cavity 4 in turn arrangement, air curtain sealing structure still includes setting in the rear air curtain chamber III 5 of process cavity 4 discharge side direction, rear air curtain chamber II 6 and rear air curtain chamber I 7, rear air curtain chamber III 5, rear air curtain chamber II 6 and rear air curtain chamber I 7 gradually away from the direction of process cavity 4 in turn arrangement, air curtain sealing structure still includes setting between front air curtain chamber I1 and front air curtain chamber II2 front gas pipeline I9, setting between front air curtain chamber II2 and front air curtain chamber III 3 front gas pipeline II 11, setting between rear air curtain chamber III 5 and rear air curtain chamber II 6 rear gas pipeline II 15, setting between rear air curtain chamber II 6 and rear air curtain chamber I 7 rear gas pipeline I 17, and with front air curtain chamber I1 connection front exhaust pipe 8, with front air curtain chamber II 2 connection front recovery pipeline I 10, with front air curtain chamber III 3 connection front recovery pipeline II 12, with rear air curtain chamber I 7 connection rear exhaust pipe 18, with rear air curtain chamber II 6 connection rear recovery pipeline I 16, with rear air curtain chamber III 5 connection rear recovery pipeline II 14, gas pipeline and recovery pipeline with the gas tank of outside equipped with isolation gas constitute gas circulation system.Isolation gas is inert gas, and inert gas includes not limited to nitrogen, helium, neon and so on one or above combination, wherein, process cavity 4 top is equipped with process gas inlet 13.
[0020] In the embodiment, each air inlet pipe adopts a linear air knife mechanism to spray air, and the air knife covers the width direction of the entire process cavity 4. The front air inlet pipe I9 and the rear air inlet pipe I17 adopt a double air knife mechanism 19, the double air knife mechanism 19 adopts a two-side air outlet mode to spray air, the double air knife mechanism 19 is provided with a flow guide plate II (191, 192) at the air outlet, the included angle between the flow guide plate II and the air inlet direction of the air knife can be adjusted according to requirements, that is, the air outlet angle of the air knife mechanism is adjustable, and in the embodiment, the air outlet angles of the two sides of the double air knife mechanism 19 are both 135°. Since the double air knife mechanism 19 adopts the two-side air outlet mode to spray air, the gas fills the front curtain chamber I1 and the front curtain chamber II 2 and the rear curtain chamber II 6 and the rear curtain chamber I7 at the same time; and the exhaust pipe (8.18) corresponding to the curtain chamber and the recovery pipe (10.16) form a complete gas circulation system, and the first isolation curtain and the second isolation curtain are formed in front of and behind the process cavity 4 along the running direction of the conveying mechanism. The front air inlet pipe II 11 and the rear air inlet pipe II 15 adopt a single air knife mechanism 20, the single air knife mechanism 20 adopts a single-side air outlet mode to spray air, the single air knife mechanism 20 is provided with a flow guide plate I 202 at the air outlet, the included angle between the flow guide plate I 202 and the air inlet direction of the air knife can be adjusted according to requirements, that is, the air outlet angle of the air knife mechanism is adjustable, and in the embodiment, the air outlet angle of the single air knife mechanism 20 is 135°, and the front air inlet pipe II 11 and the rear air inlet pipe II 15 realize air filling of the front curtain chamber III 3 and the rear curtain chamber III 5, and the recovery pipe (12.14) corresponding to the curtain chamber forms a complete gas circulation system, and the third isolation curtain is formed in front of and behind the process cavity 4 along the running direction of the conveying mechanism.
[0021] The air pressure of the isolation curtain formed in the front curtain chamber I1 is greater than the atmospheric pressure, so as to isolate the atmosphere from the front curtain chamber II 2; the air pressure of the isolation curtain formed in the front curtain chamber III 3 is greater than the pressure of the process cavity 4, so as to isolate the process cavity 4 from the front curtain chamber II 2. The isolation curtain formed in the front curtain chamber II 2 plays a role in transition and strengthening isolation, and guarantees the isolation effect. Similarly, the air pressure of the isolation curtain formed in the rear curtain chamber I7 is greater than the atmospheric pressure, so as to isolate the atmosphere from the rear curtain chamber II 6; the air pressure of the isolation curtain formed in the rear curtain chamber III 5 is greater than the pressure of the process cavity 4, so as to isolate the process cavity 4 from the rear curtain chamber II 6.
[0022] The open air curtain sealing structure is further provided with a pressure sensor in each air curtain chamber, and each air inlet pipe, recovery pipe and exhaust pipe is further provided with an electric control valve and a flow meter; the pressure sensor, the electric control valve and the flow meter are connected with an external control device, the air inlet and exhaust speed and flow of the isolation gas are controlled, and the pressure of each air curtain chamber is guaranteed to be within a required range.
Claims
1. An open curtain seal structure, characterized by: The gas curtain sealing structure comprises a plurality of front gas curtain chambers arranged in the feeding direction of the process cavity (4); a plurality of rear gas curtain chambers arranged in the discharging direction of the process cavity (4); and gas inlet pipes arranged between adjacent gas curtain chambers, and recovery pipes and / or exhaust pipes connected with the corresponding gas curtain chambers.
2. The open curtain seal structure of claim 1, wherein: The gas inlet pipes adopt straight, curved or irregular air knife mechanisms to spray gas, and the air knife openings cover the width direction of the process cavity (4).
3. The open curtain seal structure of claim 2, wherein: The air knife mechanisms include but are not limited to double air knife mechanisms (19) and single air knife mechanisms (20).
4. The open curtain seal structure of claim 3, wherein: The air knife mechanisms are adjustable in the gas outlet angle, and the air knife mechanisms introduce gas into the corresponding gas curtain chambers through the adjustable gas outlet angle.
5. The open curtain seal structure of claim 4, wherein: The included angle between the air outlet direction of the air knife mechanism and the gas inlet direction of the upper end thereof is 100-160°.
6. The open curtain seal structure of claim 1, wherein: The plurality of front gas curtain chambers and the plurality of rear gas curtain chambers are symmetrically or asymmetrically arranged; the gas pressure of the isolation gas curtain formed in the outermost gas curtain chamber is greater than the atmospheric pressure; and the gas pressure of the isolation gas curtain formed in the gas curtain chamber closest to the process cavity (4) is greater than the pressure of the process cavity (4).
7. The open curtain seal structure of claim 1, wherein: Pressure sensors are arranged in each gas curtain chamber, and electric control valves and flow meters are arranged on each gas inlet pipe, recovery pipe and exhaust pipe; the pressure sensors, electric control valves and flow meters are connected with external control equipment, and the inlet and outlet speeds and flow of the isolation gas are controlled to ensure that the pressure of each gas curtain chamber is within the required range.