Annealing equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses annealing equipment which comprises an annealing main body and a transmission assembly, the annealing main body is provided with an inner cavity, and the inner cavity comprises a first end part cavity, a middle cavity and a second end part cavity; the transmission assembly is located in the inner cavity and stretches across the first end cavity, the middle cavity and the second end cavity. The middle cavity is adjacent to the first end cavity and the second end cavity, an inner sealing door capable of being opened and closed is arranged at the junction of the middle cavity and the first end cavity and the second end cavity, the first end cavity and the second end cavity are both communicated with openings, and outer sealing doors capable of being opened and closed are arranged at the openings; the inner sealing doors and the outer sealing doors are opened in a staggered mode, and all the inner sealing doors are opened simultaneously. According to the annealing equipment provided by the embodiment of the utility model, the external environment on the outer side of the annealing main body can be prevented from influencing the oxygen content of the middle cavity, so that the oxygen content of the middle cavity can be kept lower than a set value.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to photovoltaic cell technical field especially relates to an annealing equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the preparation process of the battery piece, the printing of the electrode on the silicon wafer is a key step. After the electrode printing is completed, the silicon wafer printed with the electrode usually needs to be annealed in a low-oxygen environment by an annealing furnace.

[0003] In the related art, the annealing furnace includes a furnace cavity and a transmission structure, the transmission structure extends from the furnace cavity to outside the annealing furnace, and the transmission structure is used to transmit the silicon wafer printed with the electrode so as to make the silicon wafer printed with the electrode enter the furnace cavity or leave the furnace cavity.

[0004] In order to achieve the process standard of low-oxygen annealing, the oxygen content in a specific area in the furnace cavity needs to be kept below a set value. However, the oxygen content in the furnace cavity in the existing annealing furnace is easily affected by the external environment, so that it is difficult to keep the oxygen content in the specific area in the furnace cavity below the set value. SUMMARY

[0005] The utility model provides a kind of annealing equipment, to at least solve the problem that the oxygen content in specific area in furnace cavity in annealing furnace in prior art is difficult to keep below set value.

[0006] The utility model embodiment provides a kind of annealing equipment, including annealing main body and transmission component, the annealing main body has inner cavity, and the inner cavity includes first end portion chamber, middle chamber and second end portion chamber;

[0007] The transmission component is located in the inner cavity, and the transmission component spans the first end portion chamber, the middle chamber and the second end portion chamber;

[0008] The middle chamber is adjacent to the first end portion chamber and the second end portion chamber, and the junction is provided with openable and closable inner sealing door, the first end portion chamber, the second end portion chamber are all communicated with opening, and the opening is all provided with openable and closable outer sealing door;

[0009] The inner sealing door and the outer sealing door are staggered to open, and all inner sealing doors are opened simultaneously.

[0010] Optionally, the opening communicated by the first end portion chamber is a feeding opening opened on the annealing main body, and the annealing equipment further includes a feeding assembly, and the feeding assembly is located on the side of the feeding opening of the annealing main body.

[0011] The feeding assembly is used to place the to-be-annealed piece on a section of the transmission component located in the first end portion chamber through the feeding opening.

[0012] And / or, the opening communicating with the second end chamber is a discharge opening formed on the annealing body, and the annealing equipment further includes a feeding assembly located on the side where the discharge opening of the annealing body is located;

[0013] The feeding assembly is used to remove the part to be annealed from the second end chamber through the discharge opening.

[0014] Optionally, the intermediate chamber includes a preheating sub-chamber, a process sub-chamber, and a post-isolation sub-chamber arranged in sequence;

[0015] An inner sealing door is provided at the junction of the preheating sub-chamber and the process sub-chamber, and at the junction of the process sub-chamber and the post-isolation sub-chamber.

[0016] Optionally, the top transmission surface of the transmission component is flush with the bottom wall of the inner cavity.

[0017] Optionally, the annealing body is provided with at least one exhaust assembly, the exhaust assembly having an exhaust pipe;

[0018] At least the intermediate chamber is in communication with an exhaust pipe in at least one of the exhaust assemblies.

[0019] Optionally, the exhaust assembly further includes an inert gas inlet pipe, the exhaust pipe having an exhaust inlet, and the gas outlet of the inert gas inlet pipe communicating with the exhaust pipe and located above the exhaust inlet, wherein the inert gas flowing out from the gas outlet is used to form an air curtain above the exhaust inlet.

[0020] Optionally, during annealing, multiple pieces to be annealed are placed in a carrier;

[0021] The annealing equipment also includes a workpiece loading assembly, which is located on the same side as the feeding assembly;

[0022] The annealing part loading assembly is used to load the annealing part into the carrier, and the feeding assembly is used to place the carrier containing the annealing part on a section of the transfer assembly located in the first end chamber.

[0023] Optionally, the annealing equipment further includes a workpiece removal assembly and an empty carrier return assembly, wherein the empty carrier return assembly is located below the conveying assembly, and the workpiece removal assembly and the unloading assembly are located on the same side;

[0024] The feeding assembly is used to remove the carrier containing the part to be annealed from the second end chamber, the part to be annealed removal assembly is used to remove the part to be annealed from the carrier, and the empty carrier return assembly is used to return the empty carrier to the side where the part to be annealed loading assembly is located.

[0025] Optionally, the annealing equipment further includes a first transfer component, which is located on the same side as the feeding component;

[0026] The first transfer component is used to transfer the empty carrier returned by the empty carrier return component to the loading component, and the component for loading the part to be annealed is used to load the part to be annealed into the carrier during the transfer of the empty carrier.

[0027] Optionally, the annealing equipment further includes a second transfer assembly, which is located on the same side as the feeding assembly;

[0028] The second transfer component is used to transfer the carrier containing the part to be annealed, which is taken out by the unloading component, to the empty carrier return component. The part to be annealed removal component is used to remove the part to be annealed from the carrier during the transfer process of the carrier containing the part to be annealed.

[0029] In this embodiment of the invention, the inner sealing door and the outer sealing door are opened in a staggered manner. When the two outer sealing doors are open, the two inner sealing doors at the junction of the intermediate chamber and the first end chamber and the second end chamber are closed. At this time, the first end chamber and the second end chamber are connected to the outside of the annealing body, while the intermediate chamber is not connected to the first end chamber and the second end chamber. This can prevent the external environment from affecting the oxygen content of the intermediate chamber, thereby ensuring that the oxygen content of the intermediate chamber is kept below the set value.

[0030] Furthermore, when the two inner sealing doors at the junction of the intermediate chamber and the first and second end chambers are open, the two outer sealing doors are closed. At this time, the oxygen content of the entire inner cavity is not affected by the external environment. In addition, the transmission assembly is located inside the inner cavity, which can ensure the sealing effect of the inner cavity when the two outer sealing doors are closed.

[0031] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model, it can be implemented according to the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the following are specific embodiments of this utility model. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the annealing equipment provided in the embodiments of this utility model;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a front view of the annealing equipment provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the annealing equipment provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0035] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the cross section at point AA;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the exhaust assembly in the annealing equipment provided in this embodiment of the utility model.

[0037] Figure label:

[0038] 1- Annealing body, 101- First end chamber, 102- Second end chamber, 103- Intermediate chamber, 1031- Preheating sub-chamber, 1032- Process sub-chamber, 1033- Rear isolation sub-chamber, 104- Bottom wall, 2- Transfer assembly, 3- Outer sealing door, 4- Inner sealing door, 401- First double-opening sliding door, 402- Second double-opening sliding door, 5- Feeding assembly, 501- First transverse movement mechanism, 502- First gripping mechanism, 50 3-First lifting mechanism, 6-Unloading assembly, 601-Second transverse mechanism, 602-Second gripping mechanism, 603-Second lifting mechanism, 7-Sealing strip, 8-Exhaust assembly, 801-Exhaust pipe, 8011-Exhaust inlet, 802-Inert gas inlet pipe, 8021-Gas outlet, 9-Empty vehicle return assembly, 10-Third lifting mechanism, 11-Fourth lifting mechanism, 12-First rotating assembly, 13-Second rotating assembly, 14-Vehicle. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this invention will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0040] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 This utility model discloses an annealing device, including an annealing body 1 and a transmission component 2. The annealing body 1 has an inner cavity, which includes a first end chamber 101, an intermediate chamber 103, and a second end chamber 102. The transmission component 2 is located in the inner cavity and spans the first end chamber 101, the intermediate chamber 103, and the second end chamber 102. The intermediate chamber 103 is adjacent to the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102, and an openable and closable inner sealing door 4 is provided at the junction. The first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102 are both connected to an opening, and an openable and closable outer sealing door 3 is provided at each opening. The inner sealing door 4 and the outer sealing door 3 are staggered when opened, and all inner sealing doors 4 are opened simultaneously.

[0041] The annealing body 1 is used for the annealing treatment of the part to be annealed, which can be a silicon wafer with printed electrodes, including main grid lines and fine grid lines. The silicon wafer with printed electrodes is used to prepare a solar cell, which can be a heterojunction solar cell, a tunnel oxide passivated contact solar cell, a back field solar cell, an emitter and back passivated solar cell, a back contact solar cell, etc.

[0042] Annealing body 1 is specifically used to anneal silicon wafers with printed electrodes in a low-oxygen environment. By annealing the silicon wafers with printed electrodes in a low-oxygen environment, that is, by heating the silicon wafers with printed electrodes at high temperature and then cooling them in a low-oxygen environment, a protective layer can be formed on the surface of the electrodes, and oxidation of the electrodes can be prevented during the heating process. A low-oxygen environment refers to an environment where the oxygen content is lower than a set value, such as an environment where the oxygen content is lower than 100 ppm.

[0043] To create a low-oxygen environment within the cavity, an inert gas can be introduced. The introduction of the inert gas displaces the existing air, thus reducing the oxygen content and creating a low-oxygen environment. Nitrogen can be used as the inert gas; its chemical stability prevents it from reacting with other gases within the cavity. The annealing equipment also includes multiple nitrogen-injection components, each used to inject nitrogen into different chambers within the cavity.

[0044] The first end chamber 101, the intermediate chamber 103, and the second end chamber 102 are preferably arranged sequentially along the length direction of the annealing body 1. The length direction of the annealing body 1 can be referred to... Figure 1 The direction indicated by arrow B. Along the length of the annealing body 1, the length of the intermediate chamber 103 is greater than the length of the first end chamber 101 and greater than the length of the second end chamber 102. As an example, the intermediate chamber 103 includes multiple sub-chambers. As another example, the intermediate chamber 103 is a single, integral chamber.

[0045] An inner sealing door 4 is provided at the junction of the intermediate chamber 103 and the first end chamber 101, and an inner sealing door 4 is provided at the junction of the intermediate chamber 103 and the second end chamber 102. When the two inner sealing doors 4 at the junctions of the intermediate chamber 103 and the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102 are closed, the intermediate chamber 103 is not connected to the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102.

[0046] The transmission direction of transmission component 2 can be referred to Figure 2 The direction indicated by the arrow C. The transmission assembly 2 may include a transmission chain or a transmission belt. As an example, during annealing, multiple parts to be annealed are placed in a carrier 14, and the carrier 14 containing the parts to be annealed is placed on the transmission assembly 2. At this time, the transmission assembly 2 is used to transport the carrier 14 containing the parts to be annealed.

[0047] When the two inner sealing doors 4 at the junction of the intermediate chamber 103 and the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102 are opened, the intermediate chamber 103 is connected to the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102. At this time, the carrier 14 containing the part to be annealed in the first end chamber 101 can be transferred to the intermediate chamber 103 through the transfer assembly 2, and the carrier 14 containing the part to be annealed in the intermediate chamber 103 can be transferred to the second end chamber 102 through the transfer assembly 2. When all the inner sealing doors 4 are opened simultaneously, the transfer assembly 2, which spans the first end chamber 101, the intermediate chamber 103 and the second end chamber 102, can normally transfer the carrier 14 containing the part to be annealed.

[0048] As another example, during annealing, the part to be annealed can also be placed separately on the transfer component 2. In this case, the transfer component 2 is used to transfer the separate part to be annealed.

[0049] When the two outer sealing doors 3 are open, the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102 are connected to the outside of the annealing body 1 through the opening. At this time, the part to be annealed can be placed on a section of the transfer assembly 2 located in the first end chamber 101 through the opening, and the part to be annealed in the second end chamber 102 can be taken out through the opening of the second end chamber 102, facilitating the insertion and removal of the part to be annealed. When the two outer sealing doors 3 are closed, the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102 are not connected to the outside of the annealing body 1.

[0050] The inner sealing door 4 and the outer sealing door 3 open at different times, meaning they do not open simultaneously. Specifically, when the inner sealing door 4 is open, the outer sealing door 3 is closed, and vice versa. It should be noted that the inner sealing door 4 and the outer sealing door 3 can close simultaneously.

[0051] The outer sealing door 3 and the inner sealing door 4 are specifically and movably connected to the annealing body 1. As an example, the outer sealing door 3 and the inner sealing door 4 are sliding doors, and the outer sealing door 3 and the inner sealing door 4 are slidably connected to the annealing body 1. As another example, the outer sealing door 3 and the inner sealing door 4 are rotatably connected to the annealing body 1.

[0052] In this embodiment of the present invention, the inner sealing door 4 and the outer sealing door 3 are opened separately. When the two outer sealing doors 3 are open, the two inner sealing doors 4 at the junction of the intermediate chamber 103 and the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102 are closed. At this time, the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102 are connected to the outside of the annealing body 1, and the intermediate chamber 103 is not connected to the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102. This can prevent the external environment from affecting the oxygen content of the intermediate chamber 103, thereby keeping the oxygen content of the intermediate chamber 103 below the set value.

[0053] The experiment showed that when the two outer sealing doors 3 were open, the change in oxygen content in the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102 did not affect the annealing effect of the workpiece. The experiment also showed that when all the inner sealing doors 4 were closed and the two outer sealing doors 3 were open, the oxygen content in the intermediate chamber 103 remained below the set value for a period of time during which the two outer sealing doors 3 were open.

[0054] When the two inner sealing doors 4 at the junction of the intermediate chamber 103 and the first end chamber 101 and the second end chamber 102 are opened, the two outer sealing doors 3 are closed. At this time, the oxygen content of the entire inner cavity is not affected by the external environment. In addition, through the above arrangement, the temperature of the intermediate chamber 103 can be prevented from being affected by the external environment, thereby avoiding temperature fluctuations in the intermediate chamber 103 and ensuring the temperature uniformity of the intermediate chamber 103. Furthermore, the transmission component 2 is located inside the inner cavity, which can ensure the sealing effect of the inner cavity when the two outer sealing doors 3 are closed.

[0055] In some embodiments, the opening of the first end chamber 101 is a feed opening opened on the annealing body 1. The annealing equipment also includes a feeding assembly 5, which is located on the side where the feed opening of the annealing body 1 is located. The feeding assembly 5 is used to place the workpiece to be annealed on a section of the transfer assembly 2 located in the first end chamber 101 through the feed opening.

[0056] The feeding assembly 5 can be located on the left side of the annealing body 1. The feeding assembly 5 may include a first transverse mechanism 501, a first gripping mechanism 502, and a first lifting mechanism 503. The first gripping mechanism 502 is connected to the first lifting mechanism 503, and the first lifting mechanism 503 is connected to the first transverse mechanism 501. The first transverse mechanism 501 drives the first lifting mechanism 503 to move along the length of the annealing body 1, and the first lifting mechanism 503 drives the first gripping mechanism 502 to move up and down along the height of the annealing body 1. As an example, during annealing, multiple parts to be annealed are placed in a carrier 14. At this time, the first gripping mechanism 502 is used to grip the carrier 14 containing the parts to be annealed.

[0057] During loading, the first gripping mechanism 502 first grips the carrier 14 containing the part to be annealed. Then, the outer sealing door 3 at the inlet opens, and the first lateral movement mechanism 501 drives the first lifting mechanism 503 and the first gripping mechanism 502 to move towards the annealing body 1. After the carrier 14 containing the part to be annealed, gripped by the first gripping mechanism 502, moves into the first end chamber 101, the first lifting mechanism 503 drives the first gripping mechanism 502 to descend, placing the carrier 14 on a section of the transmission assembly 2 located in the first end chamber 101. Then, the first gripping mechanism 502 releases its grip on the carrier 14 containing the part to be annealed. In this embodiment, the automatic loading of the part to be annealed can be achieved through the setting of the loading assembly 5.

[0058] As another example, during annealing, the part to be annealed can also be placed separately on the transfer component 2. In this case, the first gripping mechanism 502 is used to grip the individual part to be annealed.

[0059] In some embodiments, the opening of the second end chamber 102 is a discharge opening formed on the annealing body 1. The annealing equipment also includes a feeding assembly 6, which is located on the side where the discharge opening of the annealing body 1 is located. The feeding assembly 6 is used to remove the workpiece to be annealed from the second end chamber 102 through the discharge opening.

[0060] The loading assembly 5 and unloading assembly 6 are located on opposite sides of the annealing body 1 along its length. When the loading assembly 5 is located on the left side of the annealing body 1, the unloading assembly 6 is located on the right side of the annealing body 1. The unloading assembly 6 may include a second transverse mechanism 601, a second gripping mechanism 602, and a second lifting mechanism 603. The second gripping mechanism 602 is connected to the second lifting mechanism 603, and the second lifting mechanism 603 is connected to the second transverse mechanism 601. The second transverse mechanism 601 is used to drive the second lifting mechanism 603 to move along the length of the annealing body 1, and the second lifting mechanism 603 is used to drive the second gripping mechanism 602 to move up and down along the height of the annealing body 1. As an example, during annealing, multiple parts to be annealed are placed in a carrier 14. At this time, the second gripping mechanism 602 is used to grip the carrier 14 containing the parts to be annealed.

[0061] During unloading, the outer sealing door 3 at the discharge opening opens, and the second lateral movement mechanism 601 drives the second lifting mechanism 603 and the second gripping mechanism 602 to move towards the annealing body 1. After the second gripping mechanism 602 moves to the second end chamber 102, it grips the carrier 14 containing the part to be annealed inside the second end chamber 102. Then, the second lifting mechanism 603 drives the second gripping mechanism 602 to rise, and the second lateral movement mechanism 601 drives the second lifting mechanism 603 and the second gripping mechanism 602 to move outside the annealing body 1. In this embodiment, the automatic unloading of the part to be annealed can be achieved through the setting of the unloading component 6.

[0062] As another example, during annealing, the part to be annealed can also be placed separately on the transfer component 2. In this case, the second gripping mechanism 602 is used to grip the individual part to be annealed.

[0063] In some embodiments, the intermediate chamber 103 includes a preheating sub-chamber 1031, a process sub-chamber 1032, and a post-isolation sub-chamber 1033 arranged in sequence; an inner sealing door 4 is provided at the junction of the preheating sub-chamber 1031 and the process sub-chamber 1032, and at the junction of the process sub-chamber 1032 and the post-isolation sub-chamber 1033.

[0064] Along the length of the annealing body 1, the length of the process sub-chamber 1032 is greater than the length of the preheating sub-chamber 1031 and also greater than the length of the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033. When the inner sealing door 4 at the junction of the process sub-chamber 1032 with the preheating sub-chamber 1031 and the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033 is open, the process sub-chamber 1032 is connected to the preheating sub-chamber 1031 and the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033. When the inner sealing door 4 at the junction of the process sub-chamber 1032 with the preheating sub-chamber 1031 and the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033 is closed, the process sub-chamber 1032 is not connected to the preheating sub-chamber 1031 and the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033.

[0065] The first end chamber 101 can serve as a front isolation chamber to isolate the external environment, where the workpiece to be annealed can be preheated. The preheating sub-chamber 1031 is used to preheat the workpiece to a suitable temperature. The process sub-chamber 1032 is the main chamber where the workpiece to be annealed is maintained at a set high temperature. The second end chamber 102 can serve as a cooling chamber to cool the workpiece to a suitable temperature. The rear isolation sub-chamber 1033 can be used for temperature transition between the process sub-chamber 1032 and the cooling chamber to avoid damage caused by sudden cooling. It should be noted that there are still heating devices in the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033, and the temperature of the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033 is higher than that of the cooling chamber but lower than that of the process sub-chamber 1032. In this embodiment, the intermediate chamber 103 includes the preheating sub-chamber 1031, the process sub-chamber 1032, and the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033 arranged sequentially, enabling continuous processing from preheating to cooling during the annealing process.

[0066] Through testing, it was found that, with sufficient nitrogen, the oxygen content in the preheating sub-chamber 1031, process sub-chamber 1032, and post-isolation sub-chamber 1033 could be controlled below 100 ppm, and the temperature could be controlled within T0 ± 5℃. Here, T0 is the actual set temperature.

[0067] As an example, the first end chamber 101, the preheating sub-chamber 1031, the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033, and the second end chamber 102 have two workstations, and can accommodate up to two carriers 14 holding parts to be annealed. The process sub-chamber 1032 has seven workstations, and can accommodate up to seven carriers 14 holding parts to be annealed.

[0068] Initially, there are no carriers 14 inside the cavity. During the use of the annealing equipment, carriers 14 are placed into the cavity one by one through the feeding assembly 5. Under the transmission of the transmission assembly 2, the parts to be annealed in the carriers 14 pass through each chamber for annealing treatment until they are as described above. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the second end chamber 102 shown, a carrier 14 is placed at one station near the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033, while the other station remains empty. After the annealing process of the workpiece to be annealed at one station in the process sub-chamber 1032 near the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033 is completed, all four inner sealing doors 4 are opened, and the transfer assembly 2 operates, moving all the carriers 14 on it forward one station. At this point, carriers 14 are placed at two stations in the second end chamber 102, and one station in the first end chamber 101 away from the preheating sub-chamber 1031 is empty. Then, all four inner sealing doors 4 are closed, and the annealing process continues. Afterward, the two outer sealing doors 3 are opened simultaneously, and the loading assembly 5 loads the carrier 14 containing the workpiece to be annealed to the first station in the inner cavity. The unloading assembly 6 unloads the carrier 14 from the last station in the inner cavity.

[0069] In some embodiments, the top transmission surface of the transmission component 2 is flush with the bottom wall 104 of the inner cavity, which facilitates the bottom of the inner sealing door 4 to contact the top transmission surface of the transmission component 2 and the bottom wall 104 of the inner cavity through the sealing strip 7.

[0070] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 A sealing strip 7 is connected to the bottom of the inner sealing door 4. The bottom of the sealing strip 7 contacts the top transmission surface of the transmission assembly 2 and the bottom wall 104 of the inner cavity. The sealing strip 7 is made of an elastic and wear-resistant material, such as rubber. In this embodiment, the sealing strip 7 can fill the gap between the bottom of the inner sealing door 4 and the top transmission surface of the transmission assembly 2 and the bottom wall 104 of the inner cavity, ensuring the sealing effect of the intermediate chamber 103 and allowing the inner sealing door 4 to open and close normally.

[0071] In some embodiments, the inner sealing door 4 includes a first double sliding door body 401 and a second double sliding door body 402, and the sealing strip 7 includes a first sealing strip disposed at the bottom of the first double sliding door body 401 and a second sealing strip disposed at the bottom of the second double sliding door body 402.

[0072] The first and second double sliding door bodies 401 and 402 are slidably connected to the annealing body 1 along its width. The inner sealing door 4 is a double sliding door, which reduces the space occupied by the inner cavity along its length. When the top transmission surface of the transmission assembly 2 is flush with the bottom wall 104 of the inner cavity, the bottom parts of the first sealing strip are at approximately the same height, and the bottom parts of the second sealing strip are at approximately the same height, to ensure the normal opening and closing of the inner sealing door 4.

[0073] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 5 The annealing body 1 is provided with at least one exhaust assembly 8, the exhaust assembly 8 having an exhaust pipe 801; at least the intermediate chamber 103 is connected to the exhaust pipe 801 in at least one exhaust assembly 8.

[0074] The exhaust assembly 8 can be disposed on the top of the annealing body 1. As an example, except that the second end chamber 102 has no heating device, the intermediate chamber 103 and the first end chamber 101 both have heating devices. In this case, the intermediate chamber 103 is connected to the exhaust pipe 801 in at least one exhaust assembly 8, and the first end chamber 101 is connected to the exhaust pipe 801 in at least one exhaust assembly 8.

[0075] As an example, the first end chamber 101 is connected to an exhaust pipe 801 in an exhaust assembly 8, the preheating sub-chamber 1031 is connected to an exhaust pipe 801 in an exhaust assembly 8, the process sub-chamber 1032 is connected to an exhaust pipe 801 in multiple exhaust assemblies 8, and the rear isolation sub-chamber 1033 is connected to an exhaust pipe 801 in an exhaust assembly 8.

[0076] During the heating process, the electrode paste decomposes and releases organic matter. In this embodiment, the exhaust assembly 8 allows for the timely removal of this organic matter. Experiments have shown that silicon wafers with printed electrodes, after annealing and with timely removal of organic matter during the annealing process, exhibit virtually no blackening during IV (current-voltage) testing. It should be noted that the organic matter released from the electrode paste can be expelled along with the nitrogen gas in the internal cavity.

[0077] In some embodiments, the exhaust assembly 8 further includes an inert gas inlet pipe 802. The exhaust pipe 801 has an exhaust inlet 8011, and the gas outlet 8021 of the inert gas inlet pipe 802 communicates with the exhaust pipe 801 and is located above the exhaust inlet 8011. The inert gas flowing out of the gas outlet 8021 is used to form an air curtain above the exhaust inlet 8011. Specifically, the inert gas flowing out of the gas outlet 8021 is nitrogen. The inert gas inlet pipe 802 can be an L-shaped pipe, with a portion of the inert gas inlet pipe 802 extending into the exhaust pipe 801. The inert gas flowing out of the gas outlet 8021 forms an air curtain above the exhaust inlet 8011, which can prevent external gas from entering the inner cavity through the exhaust assembly 8 and ensure the sealing of the inner cavity.

[0078] In some embodiments, the annealing apparatus further includes a workpiece loading assembly, which is located on the same side as the feeding assembly 5; the workpiece loading assembly is used to load the workpiece into the carrier 14, and the feeding assembly 5 is used to place the carrier 14 containing the workpiece onto a section of the transfer assembly 2 located in the first end chamber 101.

[0079] The carrier 14 has multiple placement slots, which are spaced apart along the height of the carrier 14. The component to be annealed loading assembly is specifically used to sequentially load multiple components to be annealed into the multiple placement slots in the carrier 14. The component to be annealed loading assembly may include a first robotic arm and a first adsorption mechanism connected to the first robotic arm. The first adsorption mechanism is used to adsorb the components to be annealed, and the first robotic arm is used to drive the first adsorption mechanism to move, thereby loading the components adsorbed by the first adsorption mechanism into the carrier 14. In this embodiment, multiple components to be annealed are placed in one carrier 14, enabling batch annealing of the components. Furthermore, the component to be annealed loading assembly can automatically load the components to be annealed into the carrier 14.

[0080] In some embodiments, the annealing apparatus further includes a workpiece removal assembly and an empty carrier return assembly 9. The empty carrier return assembly 9 is located below the transfer assembly 2, and the workpiece removal assembly and the unloading assembly 6 are located on the same side. The unloading assembly 6 is used to remove the carrier 14 containing the workpiece to be annealed from the second end chamber 102. The workpiece removal assembly is used to remove the workpiece to be annealed from the carrier 14. The empty carrier return assembly is used to return the empty carrier 14 to the side where the workpiece loading assembly is located.

[0081] Specifically, the component for removing annealed parts is used to sequentially remove multiple parts to be annealed from multiple placement slots in the carrier 14. The component may include a second robotic arm and a second adsorption mechanism connected to the second robotic arm. The second adsorption mechanism is used to adsorb the parts to be annealed, and the second robotic arm is used to drive the second adsorption mechanism to move, thereby removing the parts adsorbed by the second adsorption mechanism from the carrier 14. The empty carrier return component 9 may include a return conveyor belt. The transmission direction of the return conveyor belt is opposite to the transmission direction of the transmission component 2. The transmission direction of the return conveyor belt can be referred to... Figure 2 The direction indicated by the arrow in the middle (D).

[0082] In some embodiments, the annealing equipment further includes a first transfer assembly, which is located on the same side as the loading assembly 5; the first transfer assembly is used to transfer the empty carrier 14 returned by the empty carrier return assembly 9 to the loading assembly 5, and the annealing part loading assembly is used to load the annealing part into the carrier 14 during the transfer of the empty carrier 14.

[0083] The first transfer assembly includes a third lifting mechanism 10 and a first transmission mechanism, which may include a first conveyor belt. When the first transfer assembly transfers the carrier 14, initially, the first transmission mechanism and the return conveyor belt are at the same height. The first transmission mechanism operates, cooperating with the return conveyor belt to transfer the empty carrier 14 onto the first transmission mechanism. After the empty carrier 14 is transferred onto the first transmission mechanism, the first transmission mechanism stops operating, and the third lifting mechanism 10 drives the first transmission mechanism to rise, raising the carrier 14 on the first transmission mechanism to the loading assembly 5. During the rising process of the first transmission mechanism, the annealing part loading assembly loads the annealing part into the carrier 14. In this embodiment, the first transfer assembly enables the carrier 14 to be transferred from the empty carrier return assembly 9 to the loading assembly 5.

[0084] The annealing equipment also includes a first rotating assembly 12, located below the feeding assembly 5. The first rotating assembly 12 may include a rotatable first rotating table, on which a third transmission mechanism may be mounted. A third lifting mechanism 10 drives the first transmission mechanism upwards, raising the carrier 14 on the first transmission mechanism to the feeding assembly 5. Afterwards, the first and third transmission mechanisms are at the same height, and both operate, cooperating to transfer the carrier 14 onto the third transmission mechanism. Once the carrier 14 is on the third transmission mechanism, both mechanisms stop operating, and the first rotating table rotates, causing the carrier 14 to rotate. After the carrier 14 rotates, the feeding assembly 5 can grab the carrier 14 from the first rotating assembly 12.

[0085] The carrier 14 has an insertion / removal side from which the workpiece to be annealed is inserted or removed. To facilitate insertion, the orientation of the insertion / removal side of the carrier 14 on the first transfer mechanism must be a first orientation. Inside the cavity, to ensure the annealing effect of the workpiece, the orientation of the insertion / removal side of the carrier 14 must be a second orientation. When the first and second orientations differ, the orientation of the insertion / removal side of the carrier 14 can be adjusted via the first rotating assembly 12.

[0086] In some embodiments, the annealing apparatus further includes a second transfer assembly located on the same side as the unloading assembly 6; the second transfer assembly is used to transfer the carrier 14 containing the part to be annealed, which is taken out by the unloading assembly 6, to the empty carrier return assembly 9; the part to be annealed removal assembly is used to remove the part to be annealed from the carrier 14 during the transfer process of the carrier 14 containing the part to be annealed.

[0087] The second transfer assembly includes a fourth lifting mechanism 11 and a second transmission mechanism, which may include a second conveyor belt. When the second transfer assembly transfers the carrier 14, firstly, the carrier 14 containing the part to be annealed, taken from the unloading assembly 6, is placed or transferred to the second transmission mechanism. Then, the fourth lifting mechanism 11 lowers the second transmission mechanism until it reaches the same height as the return conveyor belt. During the descent, the part to be annealed removal assembly removes the part from the carrier 14. When the second transmission mechanism reaches the same height as the return conveyor belt, it operates, cooperating with the return conveyor belt to transfer the empty carrier onto the return conveyor belt. In this embodiment, the second transfer assembly enables the carrier 14 to be transferred from the unloading assembly 6 to the empty carrier return assembly 9.

[0088] The annealing equipment also includes a second rotating assembly 13, located below the unloading assembly 6. The second rotating assembly 13 may include a rotatable second rotary table, on which a fourth transfer mechanism may be mounted. After the unloading assembly 6 removes the carrier 14 containing the workpiece to be annealed, it places the carrier 14 onto the fourth transfer mechanism. The second rotary table then rotates, causing the carrier 14 to rotate. After the carrier 14 rotates, the fourth lifting mechanism 11 raises the second transfer mechanism until it reaches the same height as the fourth transfer mechanism. Then, the fourth and second transfer mechanisms operate, cooperating to transfer the carrier 14 onto the second transfer mechanism. To facilitate the placement of the workpiece to be annealed, the orientation of the carrier 14's placement / removal side on the second transfer mechanism must be a first orientation. If the first orientation differs from the second orientation, the orientation of the carrier 14's placement / removal side can be adjusted using the second rotating assembly 13.

[0089] In some embodiments, the outer sealing door 3 is movably connected to the annealing body 1. The outer sealing door 3 has an inner side surface near the annealing body 1, and a sealing element is provided at the edge of the inner side surface. The sealing element can be an annular structure. The sealing element can be made of an elastic, wear-resistant material, such as rubber. The sealing element ensures the airtightness of the inner cavity.

[0090] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0091] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these forms are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An annealing apparatus, characterized in that, It includes an annealing body and a transfer assembly. The annealing body has an inner cavity, which includes a first end chamber, an intermediate chamber, and a second end chamber. The transmission component is located within the inner cavity and spans the first end chamber, the intermediate chamber, and the second end chamber; The intermediate chamber is adjacent to the first end chamber and the second end chamber, and an openable and closable inner sealing door is provided at the junction. The first end chamber and the second end chamber are both connected to an opening, and an openable and closable outer sealing door is provided at each opening. The inner sealing door opens in a staggered manner from the outer sealing door, and all inner sealing doors open simultaneously.

2. The annealing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening of the first end chamber is a feeding opening on the annealing body. The annealing equipment also includes a feeding assembly located on the side of the feeding opening of the annealing body. The feeding assembly is used to place the workpiece to be annealed onto a section of the transfer assembly located in the first end chamber through the feeding opening; And / or, the opening communicating with the second end chamber is a discharge opening formed on the annealing body, and the annealing equipment further includes a feeding assembly located on the side where the discharge opening of the annealing body is located; The feeding assembly is used to remove the part to be annealed from the second end chamber through the discharge opening.

3. The annealing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intermediate chamber includes a preheating sub-chamber, a process sub-chamber, and a post-isolation sub-chamber arranged in sequence; An inner sealing door is provided at the junction of the preheating sub-chamber and the process sub-chamber, and at the junction of the process sub-chamber and the post-isolation sub-chamber.

4. The annealing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top transmission surface of the transmission component is flush with the bottom wall of the inner cavity.

5. The annealing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annealing body is provided with at least one exhaust assembly, and the exhaust assembly has an exhaust pipe; At least the intermediate chamber is in communication with an exhaust pipe in at least one of the exhaust assemblies.

6. The annealing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The exhaust assembly further includes an inert gas inlet pipe, the exhaust pipe having an exhaust inlet, and the gas outlet of the inert gas inlet pipe communicating with the exhaust pipe and located above the exhaust inlet. The inert gas flowing out from the gas outlet is used to form an air curtain above the exhaust inlet.

7. The annealing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, During annealing, multiple pieces to be annealed are placed in a carrier; The annealing equipment also includes a workpiece loading assembly, which is located on the same side as the feeding assembly; The annealing part loading assembly is used to load the annealing part into the carrier, and the feeding assembly is used to place the carrier containing the annealing part on a section of the transfer assembly located in the first end chamber.

8. The annealing equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The annealing equipment also includes a workpiece removal assembly and an empty carrier return assembly. The empty carrier return assembly is located below the transmission assembly, and the workpiece removal assembly and the unloading assembly are located on the same side. The feeding assembly is used to remove the carrier containing the part to be annealed from the second end chamber, the part to be annealed removal assembly is used to remove the part to be annealed from the carrier, and the empty carrier return assembly is used to return the empty carrier to the side where the part to be annealed loading assembly is located.

9. The annealing equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The annealing equipment further includes a first transfer component, which is located on the same side as the feeding component; The first transfer component is used to transfer the empty carrier returned by the empty carrier return component to the loading component, and the component for loading the part to be annealed is used to load the part to be annealed into the carrier during the transfer of the empty carrier.

10. The annealing equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The annealing equipment further includes a second transfer assembly, which is located on the same side as the feeding assembly; The second transfer component is used to transfer the carrier containing the part to be annealed, which is taken out by the unloading component, to the empty carrier return component. The part to be annealed removal component is used to remove the part to be annealed from the carrier during the transfer process of the carrier containing the part to be annealed.

Images