Crucible device
By designing a movable thermocouple device, the problems of inaccurate temperature monitoring and reduced lifespan caused by friction between the thermocouple and the crucible were solved, thus extending the lifespan of the thermocouple and improving the stability and accuracy of temperature measurement.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520278036.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-17
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-02-20
AI Technical Summary
In existing crucible temperature monitoring systems, friction between the thermocouple and the crucible leads to inaccurate temperature monitoring and reduced lifespan.
The design incorporates a movable thermocouple device, which is driven by a connecting plate or cylinder to bring the thermocouple into contact with or separate from the crucible, thus avoiding friction. The use of a connecting plate and cylinder enables the thermocouple to move, ensuring that no friction occurs when the crucible is moved up or down from the machine.
This improves the lifespan of thermocouples and the accuracy of temperature monitoring, avoids wear, and ensures the stability and precision of temperature measurement.
Smart Images
Figure CN223921511U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of vapor deposition equipment technology, specifically to a crucible device. Background Technology
[0002] Existing crucible temperature monitoring typically uses fixed thermocouples positioned at corresponding locations on the crucible to monitor the temperature of the bottom, top, and nozzle. For accurate temperature measurement, the thermocouple should ideally be in contact with the corresponding location on the crucible. However, this requires the crucible body to be pulled out from the side when changing materials, causing friction at the contact point between the crucible and the thermocouple. Over time, this can compromise the accuracy of the thermocouple, leading to inaccurate temperature monitoring of the crucible. Utility Model Content
[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a crucible device that can avoid friction on the thermocouple and achieve accurate temperature monitoring.
[0004] In one aspect of this application, a crucible device is provided, comprising: a crucible body, wherein a movable thermocouple is further provided on one side of the crucible body, so that the thermocouple can be movably contacted or separated from the crucible body when the crucible body is loaded or unloaded;
[0005] The crucible body is located on one side of the mounting sidewall, and a connecting plate is rotatably mounted on the mounting sidewall so that the connecting plate can rotate around the bottom corner of the crucible body. The thermocouple is located at the end of the connecting plate and faces the crucible body so as to contact or separate from the crucible body.
[0006] Alternatively, a cylinder may be provided at the bottom of the crucible body, with the thermocouple located at the end of the telescopic rod of the cylinder. The telescopic direction of the cylinder is towards the bottom of the crucible body and is perpendicular to the vertical direction of the crucible body.
[0007] Optionally, when the connecting plate is rotatably mounted on the mounting sidewall, the connecting plate is an L-shaped plate, an elastic element is provided on one side of the L-shaped plate, the elastic element is connected to one side plate of the L-shaped plate, and the thermocouple is located at the end of the other side plate of the L-shaped plate.
[0008] Optionally, when the elastic element is in a stretched state, the thermocouple on the L-shaped plate is moved away from the crucible body, so that the crucible body is separated from the thermocouple.
[0009] Optionally, the included angle between the two side plates of the L-shaped plate is an acute angle.
[0010] Optionally, the two side plates of the L-shaped plate are rotatably arranged, and a push-pull mechanism is provided on one side of the L-shaped plate. The push-pull mechanism is connected to one of the side plates of the L-shaped plate so that the included angle between the two side plates of the L-shaped plate is adjustable.
[0011] Optionally, when the cylinder is provided at the bottom of the crucible body, the crucible body is placed in the receiving cavity, and the receiving cavity is provided with a cavity door along the direction of going up and down the machine. The cavity door is connected to a motor, and the cavity door is opened and closed by the motor. When the cavity door is open, the crucible body can go up and down the machine through the cavity door.
[0012] Optionally, it also includes a control component, which is connected to the cylinder and the motor respectively. When the control component controls the cylinder to move the thermocouple away from the crucible body, the motor starts to open the cavity door, and the crucible body moves up and down through the cavity door. When the thermocouple contacts the crucible body, the control component controls the motor to turn off.
[0013] The crucible device provided in this application includes: a crucible body, with a movable thermocouple disposed on one side of the crucible body so that the thermocouple can movably contact or separate from the crucible body when the crucible body is lifted or lowered; the crucible body is located on one side of a mounting sidewall, and a connecting plate is rotatably disposed on the mounting sidewall so that the connecting plate can rotate around the bottom corner of the crucible body; the thermocouple is located at the end of the connecting plate and faces the crucible body so as to contact or separate from the crucible body; or, a cylinder is disposed at the bottom of the crucible body, and the thermocouple is located at the end of the telescopic rod of the cylinder, the telescopic direction of the cylinder facing the bottom of the crucible body and perpendicular to the lifting or lowering direction of the crucible body. The movable contact or separation of the thermocouple from the crucible body facilitates the lateral extraction or advancement of the crucible body along the lifting or lowering direction, avoiding friction with the thermocouple, thereby improving the thermocouple's lifespan and the accuracy and stability of the measurement. Attached Figure Description
[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0015] Figure 1 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the crucible device structure provided in this embodiment;
[0016] Figure 2 This is the second schematic diagram of the crucible device provided in this embodiment.
[0017] Icons: 100-Cruxetine body; 101-Cruxetine lid; 102-Elastic component; 103-Connecting plate; 104-Thermocouple; 105-Cylinder; 106-Control component; 200-Mounting side wall; 201-Mounting bottom wall; F-Up / down direction; a-Including angle. Detailed Implementation
[0018] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0019] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "inner" and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0020] It should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "setup" and "connection" 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 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 application based on the specific circumstances.
[0021] Vapor deposition is an early and widely used vapor deposition technique, offering advantages such as simple film formation methods, high film purity and density, and unique film structure and properties. Vapor deposition technology is widely applied in various fields, including electronics, optics, aerospace, and everyday consumer goods. For example, in electronics, vapor deposition is used to manufacture integrated circuits and electronic components; in optics, it is used to manufacture mirrors and filters; and in aerospace, it is used to manufacture high-temperature resistant coatings and protective coatings.
[0022] The temperature of the crucible used in vapor deposition needs to be monitored by contact with a thermocouple. Friction occurs between the crucible and the thermocouple when the crucible is moved up and down the machine. Over time, this can lead to defects such as reduced thermocouple accuracy and lifespan.
[0023] In view of this, in order to solve the above problems, this application provides a crucible device, including: a crucible body 100 and a crucible cover 101 disposed on the crucible body 100. A movable thermocouple 104 is also disposed on one side of the crucible body 100 so that the thermocouple 104 can be movably contacted or separated from the crucible body 100 when the crucible body 100 is lifted or removed from the machine.
[0024] The crucible lid 101 is fixedly installed above the crucible body 100. The crucible body 100 has a hollow internal structure. The crucible lid 101 covers the opening of the crucible body 100 to form a closed space for vapor deposition. The crucible body 100 can move along the up and down direction F to facilitate the loading and unloading of the crucible body 100.
[0025] Thermocouple 104 is located on one side of crucible body 100 and is used for temperature monitoring of crucible body 100. In this application, thermocouple 104 can be movably contacted or separated from crucible body 100, which facilitates the lateral extraction or pushing of crucible body 100 along the up-and-down direction F, avoiding friction with thermocouple 104, thereby improving the lifespan of thermocouple 104 and the accuracy and stability of measurement.
[0026] Specifically, in some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the crucible body 100 is located on one side of the mounting side wall 200. A connecting plate 103 is rotatably mounted on the mounting side wall 200 so that the connecting plate 103 can be rotatably mounted around the bottom corner of the crucible body 100. Thermocouple 104 is located at the end of the connecting plate 103 and faces the crucible body 100 so as to contact or separate from the crucible body 100.
[0027] A connecting plate 103 is installed on one side of the bottom corner of the crucible body 100. The connecting plate 103 is rotatable with the bottom corner of the crucible as the axis, which makes the connecting plate 103 have a certain degree of mobility. Thus, the thermocouple 104 located at the end of the connecting plate 103 also has a certain degree of mobility. When the crucible body 100 moves along the up and down direction F, the thermocouple 104 can be movably contacted or separated from the crucible body 100, thereby avoiding wear on the thermocouple 104.
[0028] Furthermore, the connecting wires of thermocouple 104 need to have a certain amount of expansion and contraction space to prevent the connecting plate 103 from breaking the connecting wires of thermocouple 104 when it moves, thus affecting the normal operation of thermocouple 104.
[0029] Furthermore, the connecting plate 103 is an L-shaped plate, and an elastic element 102 is provided on one side of the L-shaped plate. The elastic element 102 is connected to one side plate of the L-shaped plate, and the thermocouple 104 is located at the end of the other side plate of the L-shaped plate.
[0030] An elastic element 102, such as a spring, is also installed on one side of the connecting plate 103. When the spring is extended, the thermocouple 104 on the L-shaped plate moves away from the crucible body 100, that is, the thermocouple 104 on the L-shaped plate will move slightly towards the bottom surface of the crucible body 100. At this time, the crucible body 100 is separated from the thermocouple 104. In this way, when the crucible body 100 is pulled out, the crucible body 100 will not cause wear to the thermocouple 104. The setting of the elastic element 102 can further reduce the wear caused to the thermocouple 104. When the crucible body 100 is pushed back in, the side of the L-shaped plate where the thermocouple 104 is installed will move upward due to the compression of the spring. Then the thermocouple 104 will re-contact the crucible body 100 to monitor the temperature of the crucible body 100.
[0031] Both the connecting plate 103 and the elastic element 102 are connected to the mounting side wall 200. In addition, the L-shaped plate can also have a certain angle, that is, the included angle α between the two side plates of the L-shaped plate is an acute angle. This makes it convenient for the thermocouple 104 to contact or separate from the crucible body 100 when the crucible body 100 is pulled out or pushed in, thus ensuring the normal operation of the thermocouple 104.
[0032] Based on this, the included angle α between the two side plates of the L-shaped plate can be adjusted. For example, the two side plates of the L-shaped plate can be rotated, and a push-pull mechanism (which can be the extension and retraction of a cylinder) can be set to connect with one of the side plates, so that this side plate can move closer to or further away from the other side plate, thereby making the included angle α between the two side plates of the L-shaped plate adjustable. By adjusting this included angle α, the thermocouple 104 can be properly tightened when it contacts the crucible body 100, avoiding the problem of poor contact between the thermocouple 104 and the crucible body 100, and ensuring the stability of the thermocouple 104 in operation.
[0033] In other embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, a cylinder 105 can also be used to allow the thermocouple 104 to movably contact or separate from the crucible body 100. Specifically, the crucible body 100 is mounted on the mounting bottom wall 201, and a cylinder 105 is installed at the bottom of the crucible body 100. The thermocouple 104 is located at the end of the telescopic rod of the cylinder 105. Driven by the cylinder 105, the thermocouple 104 can pass through the mounting bottom wall 201 and contact the bottom of the crucible body 100. The telescopic direction of the cylinder 105 is towards the bottom of the crucible body 100 and is perpendicular to the vertical direction F of the crucible body 100.
[0034] The thermocouple 104 is fixed on a high-temperature resistant metal rod that is driven by a cylinder 105 and can move up and down. The metal rod is connected to the telescopic rod of the cylinder 105, or the metal rod and the telescopic rod are integrated. When the crucible body 100 needs to be filled with material, the movement of the cylinder 105 can drive the thermocouple 104 to move downward and separate it from the crucible body 100, so that the crucible body 100 can be pulled out without friction with the thermocouple 104.
[0035] The crucible body 100 is placed inside the accommodating cavity. The accommodating cavity is provided with a cavity door along the up and down direction F. The cavity door is connected to a motor. The motor drives the cavity door to open and close. When the cavity door is open, the crucible body 100 can be pulled out through the cavity door to allow the crucible body 100 to be loaded or unloaded.
[0036] It also includes a control component 106, which is connected to both the cylinder 105 and the motor to enable the cylinder 105 and the motor to work together. When the control component 106 controls the cylinder 105 to move the thermocouple 104 away from the crucible body, the motor starts to open the cavity door, allowing the crucible body 100 to move up and down the machine through the cavity door; when the thermocouple 104 contacts the crucible body 100, the control component 106 controls the motor to shut off, the cavity door cannot be opened, and the crucible body 100 cannot be moved up or down the machine.
[0037] The cylinder 105 is controlled by the control unit 106. When the thermocouple 104 is not lowered, it is interlocked with the opening of the side cavity door. The cavity door can only be opened when the thermocouple 104 is lowered, and only then can the crucible body 100 be pulled out. This ensures that the crucible body 100 can only be pulled out after the thermocouple 104 is separated from the crucible body 100.
[0038] Therefore, this application adopts two methods to realize the movable setting of thermocouple 104. The first method, the connecting plate 103, has a simple structure and low operation difficulty. The second method, the cylinder 105 driving method, can cooperate with the motor and cylinder 105 to realize the linkage action of the descent of thermocouple 104 and the pull-out of crucible body 100, further avoiding friction on thermocouple 104.
[0039] In summary, this application designs the thermocouple 104 as a movable type, which effectively separates the thermocouple 104 from the contact point of the crucible body 100 when the crucible body 100 is loaded or unloaded. This effectively avoids friction between the thermocouple 104 and the crucible body 100, especially for side-mounted crucible bodies 100, during loading and unloading, reducing wear on the thermocouple 104 each time the crucible body 100 is loaded or unloaded. As a result, the accuracy and stability of temperature measurement by the thermocouple 104 are improved, and the service life of the thermocouple 104 is also extended.
[0040] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.
Claims
1. A crucible apparatus, characterized in that, include: The crucible body has a movable thermocouple on one side, so that the thermocouple can be in contact with or separate from the crucible body when the crucible body is put on or taken off the machine. The crucible body is located on one side of the mounting sidewall, and a connecting plate is rotatably mounted on the mounting sidewall so that the connecting plate can rotate around the bottom corner of the crucible body. The thermocouple is located at the end of the connecting plate and faces the crucible body so as to contact or separate from the crucible body. Alternatively, a cylinder may be provided at the bottom of the crucible body, with the thermocouple located at the end of the telescopic rod of the cylinder. The telescopic direction of the cylinder is towards the bottom of the crucible body and is perpendicular to the vertical direction of the crucible body.
2. The crucible apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the connecting plate is rotatably mounted on the mounting side wall, the connecting plate is an L-shaped plate, an elastic element is provided on one side of the L-shaped plate, the elastic element is connected to one side plate of the L-shaped plate, and the thermocouple is located at the end of the other side plate of the L-shaped plate.
3. The crucible apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the elastic element is in a stretched state, the thermocouple on the L-shaped plate moves away from the crucible body, thereby separating the crucible body from the thermocouple.
4. The crucible apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The included angle between the two side plates of the L-shaped plate is an acute angle.
5. The crucible apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The two side plates of the L-shaped plate are rotatably arranged, and a push-pull mechanism is provided on one side of the L-shaped plate. The push-pull mechanism is connected to one of the side plates of the L-shaped plate so that the included angle between the two side plates of the L-shaped plate is adjustable.
6. The crucible apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the cylinder is provided at the bottom of the crucible body, the crucible body is placed in the accommodating cavity. The accommodating cavity is provided with a cavity door along the direction of going up and down. The cavity door is connected to a motor, and the motor drives the cavity door to open and close. When the cavity door is open, the crucible body can go up and down through the cavity door.
7. The crucible apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a control component, which is connected to the cylinder and the motor respectively. When the control component controls the cylinder to move the thermocouple away from the crucible body, the motor starts to open the cavity door, and the crucible body moves up and down through the cavity door. When the thermocouple contacts the crucible body, the control component controls the motor to turn off.