Boat structure and vertical furnace

Abstract

This invention proposes a boat structure and a vertical furnace. The boat structure includes a boat support and multiple wafer carrier boats vertically placed within the boat support. Each wafer carrier boat includes a boat body for loading several wafers, multiple first boat ears located on both sides of the boat body for cooperating with a loading and unloading device, and multiple second boat ears located on both sides of the boat body for cooperating with the boat support. The boat support includes a bracket for accommodating the multiple wafer carrier boats and multiple sets of support members located on the bracket. Multiple support members in each set of support members correspond one-to-one with multiple second boat ears in each wafer carrier boat. This invention improves the convenience of loading and unloading wafer carrier boats by using different boat ears to achieve the loading, unloading, and fixing functions. This design avoids using the same boat ears for support, fixing, and loading / unloading operations, effectively reducing the possibility of collisions between wafer carrier boats and other components, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the wafer carrier boats.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of solar cell manufacturing technology, and more specifically, it relates to a boat structure and a vertical furnace. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of the photovoltaic industry, vertical furnace equipment is now widely used in processes such as diffusion, oxidation, annealing, doping, PECVD (plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition), and LPCVD (low-pressure chemical vapor deposition) in the photovoltaic industry. The structure of this type of furnace typically requires loading solar cells (silicon wafers) into a specific boat (carrier or wafer carrier) and then transferring them to the reaction chamber of the furnace for processing. By heating the reaction chamber and introducing specific reactive gases, processes such as coating, diffusion, oxidation, and thin film deposition on the silicon wafers are achieved. As the photovoltaic industry continues to advance, the requirements for equipment performance are increasing, and the corresponding process routes are also constantly being updated.

[0003] In existing technologies, multiple wafer carrier boats loaded with solar cells are placed within the reaction chamber of a vertical furnace, and these carrier boats are arranged vertically. However, existing technologies have the following problems: First, the excessive stacking of carrier boats in the vertical direction makes loading and unloading operations very difficult. Second, the carrier boats are made of fragile materials and are easily damaged upon collision with other components, further increasing the complexity and risk of loading and unloading operations.

[0004] Therefore, improving the ease of loading and unloading the slide carrier to avoid damage to it has become a pressing technical challenge in the industry. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to propose a boat structure and a vertical furnace, which aims to solve the problems of inconvenient loading and unloading and easy damage of the substrate boat in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0007] This utility model first proposes a boat structure, including a boat support and multiple carrier boats placed vertically inside the boat support;

[0008] Each carrier boat includes a boat body for loading a number of battery cells, a plurality of first boat ears disposed on both sides of the boat body for cooperating with a pick-and-place device, and a plurality of second boat ears disposed on both sides of the boat body for cooperating with a boat support.

[0009] The boat support includes a bracket for accommodating multiple slice boats and multiple sets of support members disposed on the bracket, wherein multiple support members in each set of support members abut against multiple second boat ears in each slice boat.

[0010] Furthermore, the boat body includes two end plates arranged opposite each other, and a plurality of slotted bars connected between the two end plates for fixing the battery cells. A first boat ear is disposed on the side of one of the end plates, and a second boat ear is connected between two adjacent slotted bars.

[0011] Furthermore, the multiple slot rods include a first slot rod group, a second slot rod group located on one side of the first slot rod group and together forming a battery cell loading space, and a third slot rod group located on the other side of the first slot rod group and together forming another battery cell loading space. Each first slot rod in the first slot rod group has several limiting grooves on one side, each second slot rod in the second slot rod group has several limiting grooves on both sides, and each third slot rod in the third slot rod group has several limiting grooves on one side.

[0012] Furthermore, the bracket includes a base plate enclosing the accommodating space, a top rod, and two side rods, with each set of supports including two supports mounted on the two side rods.

[0013] Furthermore, a reinforcing plate is provided at the connection between the base plate and the side rod.

[0014] Furthermore, the top rod and side rod have a hollow structure inside, and the side rod has multiple heat dissipation vents on the side near the top rod.

[0015] Furthermore, the base plate is equipped with weight-reduction holes.

[0016] Furthermore, the base plate is provided with a positioning extension for abutting against the supporting components in the boat base structure.

[0017] Furthermore, the bottom end of the support member is provided with a first recess for abutting against the anti-tipping seat in the boat base structure, and the top end of the support member is provided with a second recess for abutting against the second boat lug.

[0018] This utility model also proposes a vertical furnace, including a furnace body, a boat-carrying base structure located inside the furnace body, and multiple boat structures as described above, with the multiple boat structures placed on the boat-carrying base structure.

[0019] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of the boat structure and vertical furnace proposed in this utility model are as follows: The boat structure of this utility model mainly consists of a boat support and a wafer carrier boat. The boat support is used to support and fix the wafer carrier boat, while the wafer carrier boat is used to load the battery cells. Simultaneously, the wafer carrier boat includes a first boat ear and a second boat ear. The first boat ear cooperates with the pick-and-place device to realize the pick-and-place operation of the wafer carrier boat; the second boat ear cooperates with the boat support to fix the wafer carrier boat. When multiple wafer carrier boats are placed vertically in the boat support, the second boat ear in the wafer carrier boat abuts against the support member in the boat support, thereby allowing multiple wafer carrier boats to be stably fixed on the boat support. This utility model improves the convenience of picking up and placing the wafer carrier boats by using different boat ears to achieve the pick-and-place and fixing functions separately. This design avoids using the same boat ear for support, fixing, and pick-and-place operations, effectively reducing the possibility of collisions between the wafer carrier boat and other components, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the wafer carrier boat. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the boat structure proposed in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a side view of the boat structure proposed in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the slide carrier boat proposed in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the boat structure and the boat-carrying base structure assembled according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a vertical furnace according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] The main markings in the attached figures are as follows:

[0028] 100. Boat structure; 200. Boat base structure; 300. Vertical furnace;

[0029] 11. Boat support; 12. Plate carrier boat; 21. Support component; 22. Anti-tipping seat; 23. Rotary drive assembly; 31. Furnace door; 32. Inner furnace tube; 33. Outer furnace tube;

[0030] 110. Bracket; 112. Support component; 121. Boat hull; 122. First boat lug; 123. Second boat lug;

[0031] 1110. Base plate; 1112. Top rod; 1113. Side rod; 1114. Reinforcing plate; 1115. Heat dissipation vent; 1116. Weight reduction hole; 1117. Positioning extension; 1121. First recess; 1122. Second recess; 1211. End plate; 1212. Groove rod; 1123. Limiting groove; 1124. Weight reduction groove. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.

[0033] This utility model proposes a boat structure and a vertical furnace, aiming to solve the following problems: how to improve the convenience of loading and unloading the wafer carrier boat, avoid damage to the wafer carrier boat, and how to effectively support and fix multiple wafer carrier boats placed vertically.

[0034] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 , Figure 2 The preferred embodiment of this utility model proposes a boat structure 100 including a boat support 11 and a plurality of carrier boats 12 placed vertically in the boat support 11.

[0035] Each carrier boat 12 includes a boat body 121 for loading a plurality of battery cells, a plurality of first boat ears 122 disposed on both sides of the boat body 121 for cooperating with a pick-and-place device, and a plurality of second boat ears 123 disposed on both sides of the boat body 121 for cooperating with a boat support 11.

[0036] The boat support 11 includes a bracket 110 for accommodating multiple slide boats 12, and multiple sets of support members 112 disposed on the bracket 110, wherein multiple support members 112 in each set of support members 112 correspond to and abut against multiple second boat ears 123 in each slide boat 12.

[0037] In this boat structure 100, the main function of the boat support 11 is to support and fix the wafer carrier boat 12, which is used to load the battery cells. The wafer carrier boat 12 includes a first boat ear 122 and a second boat ear 123. The first boat ear 122 cooperates with the pick-and-place device to realize the pick-and-place operation of the wafer carrier boat 12; the second boat ear 123 cooperates with the boat support 11 to fix the wafer carrier boat 12. When multiple wafer carrier boats 12 are placed vertically in the boat support 11, the second boat ear 123 of the wafer carrier boat 12 abuts against the support member 112 in the boat support 11, so that multiple wafer carrier boats 12 can be firmly fixed on the boat support 11. This utility model improves the convenience of picking up and placing the wafer carrier boat 12 by using different boat ears to realize the pick-and-place and fixation functions. This design avoids using the same boat ear for support, fixation and pick-and-place operations, effectively reducing the possibility of collision between the wafer carrier boat 12 and other components, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the wafer carrier boat 12.

[0038] It should be noted that the number of solar cells that the solar cell carrier 12 can carry, and the number of solar cell carriers that the carrier 11 can support, can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs, and no specific limit is made here. Figure 2 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, three slide boats 12 are placed vertically inside the boat support 11.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, in each carrier boat 12, the boat body 121 includes two end plates 1211 arranged opposite to each other, and a plurality of slotted rods 1212 connected between the two end plates 1211 and used to fix the battery cells. A first boat ear 122 is disposed on the side of one of the end plates 1211, and a second boat ear 123 is connected between two adjacent slotted rods 1212.

[0040] It should be noted that the cell carrier boat 12 can carry at least one row of solar cells. For example... Figure 3As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the cell carrier boat 12 includes six slotted rods 1212, each of which has a limiting groove 1123 for fixing the battery cells. Specifically, the six slotted rods 1212 are divided into three groups: a first group of slotted rods, a second group of slotted rods located on one side of the first group of slotted rods and forming a battery cell loading space, and a third group of slotted rods located on the other side of the first group of slotted rods and forming another battery cell loading space. The first group of slotted rods consists of two first slotted rods, namely two adjacent slotted rods 1212 on the left side; the second group of slotted rods consists of two second slotted rods, namely two adjacent slotted rods 1212 in the middle; and the third group of slotted rods consists of two third slotted rods, namely two adjacent slotted rods 1212 on the right side. The two adjacent slotted rods 1212 in the middle are provided with several limiting grooves 1123 on both sides, the two adjacent slotted rods 1212 on the left side are provided with several limiting grooves 1123 on one side, and the two adjacent slotted rods 1212 on the right side are also provided with several limiting grooves 1123 on one side. With this design, two adjacent middle slot bars 1212 and two adjacent left slot bars 1212 can jointly load one row of solar cells, while two adjacent middle slot bars 1212 and two adjacent right slot bars 1212 can jointly load another row of solar cells, thus enabling the cell carrier boat 12 to load two rows of solar cells. This not only increases the number of solar cells loaded each time, effectively improving the processing efficiency of the equipment and meeting the process requirements of mass production of solar cells; at the same time, it ensures that each solar cell is firmly inserted into the limiting grooves 1123 of the four slot bars 1212, thereby strengthening the support and fixing effect of the cell carrier boat 12 on the solar cells and effectively avoiding the risk of solar cells shifting or falling off during the loading and unloading process.

[0041] Meanwhile, the slide carrier 12 includes two first slide ears 122 and two second slide ears 123. The two first slide ears 122 are located on both sides of the same end plate 1211, and one second slide ear 123 is located between two adjacent slotted bars 1212 on the left side, while the other second slide ear 123 is located between two adjacent slotted bars 1212 on the right side. This design creates a height difference between the first slide ears 122 and the second slide ears 123 in the vertical direction, making it easier to pick up and put down multiple slide carriers 12 from the slide support 11, further improving the convenience of the picking and putting operation.

[0042] Furthermore, both end plates 1211 of the slide carrier 12 are provided with multiple weight-reducing grooves 1124. It should be understood that the number and shape of the weight-reducing grooves 1124 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs, and are not specifically limited here. Figure 3 As shown, in the preferred embodiment, each of the two end plates 1211 is provided with two square weight-reducing grooves 1124. Except for the part used to connect the slot rod 1212, other areas of the end plate 1211 can be provided with weight-reducing grooves 1124 to reduce the weight of the end plate 1211, thereby making it easier to pick up and put in the carrier boat 12.

[0043] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, in the boat support 11, the bracket 110 includes a base plate 1110 that encloses the accommodating space, a top rod 1112 and two side rods 1113, and each set of support members 112 includes two support members 112 disposed on the two side rods 1113.

[0044] It should be noted that the top rod 1112 and the two side rods 1113 can be configured as an integral structure or can be detachably connected, while the base plate 1110 and the two side rods 1113 are detachably connected. Meanwhile, in the preferred embodiment, such as... Figure 1 As shown, each of the two side rods 1113 is provided with three support members 112, thus forming three sets of support members 112 corresponding one-to-one with the three wafer carrier boats 12. This design allows multiple wafer carrier boats 12 to be placed in the boat holder 11 at the same time. By increasing the number of wafer carrier boats 12 that the boat holder 11 can accommodate, the number of solar cells that the equipment can process can be increased.

[0045] In addition, such as Figure 1 As shown, a reinforcing plate 1114 is provided at the connection between the bottom plate 1110 and the side rod 1113. The reinforcing plate 1114 can provide support for the side rod 1113, thereby enhancing the support and fixing effect of the boat support 11 on the carrier boat 12.

[0046] In addition, such as Figure 1 As shown, both the top rod 1112 and the side rod 1113 have hollow interiors. The side rod 1113 has multiple heat dissipation vents 1115 on its side near the top rod 1112. This invention specifically considers that the boat support 11 operates in a high-temperature environment for extended periods. These heat dissipation vents 1115 effectively dissipate heat from the inside of the boat support 11, preventing cracks caused by continuous high temperatures and thus avoiding damage to the boat support 11. This design protects the boat support 11 and improves its durability.

[0047] In addition, such as Figure 1 As shown, the base plate 1110 is provided with weight reduction holes 1116, which effectively reduces the weight of the boat support 11, thereby facilitating transportation, installation and disassembly.

[0048] In addition, such as Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 5As shown, the base plate 1110 is provided with a positioning extension 1117, which can abut against the support member 21 in the boat base structure 200, thereby firmly fixing the boat structure 100 to the boat base structure 200. Meanwhile, the bottom end of the support member 112 is provided with a first recess 1121, which abuts against the anti-tipping seat 22 in the boat base structure 200; the top end of the support member 112 is provided with a second recess 1122, which abuts against the second boat lug 123. The shape and size of the first recess 1121 and the second recess 1122 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs, and are not specifically limited here. This design allows the boat support 11 to cooperate well with the solar cell boat 12 and the boat base structure 200, achieving both fixation and support for the solar cell boat 12, while also effectively preventing the boat structure 100 from tipping over and avoiding damage to the solar cells in the boat structure 100 due to tipping.

[0049] Please refer to the following: Figure 6 The vertical furnace 300 proposed in the preferred embodiment of this utility model mainly consists of a furnace body, a boat-carrying base structure 200, and multiple boat structures 100. The boat structures 100 have been described in detail above and will not be repeated here. Figure 6 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the furnace body is enclosed by a furnace cover, a furnace door 31, an inner furnace tube 32, and an outer furnace tube 33 to form a reaction chamber. Multiple boat structures 100 are placed on a boat-carrying base structure 200, and the boat-carrying base structure 200 and these boat structures 100 are placed together within the reaction chamber. Please refer to... Figure 2 Each boat structure 100 contains multiple carrier boats 12 vertically mounted with solar cells. Furthermore, the carrier base structure 200 is connected to a rotary drive assembly 23, which can be driven by a motor to achieve rotation. By driving the carrier base structure 200 to rotate via the rotary drive assembly 23, the multiple boat structures 100 rotate around the inner furnace tube 32, thereby improving the heating uniformity of the solar cells within the boat structures 100 and thus improving the processing quality of the solar cells.

[0050] The boat structure and vertical furnace proposed in this utility model aim to improve the ease of operation of the wafer carrier boat during loading and unloading, and effectively prevent the wafer carrier boat from colliding with other components and causing damage. In addition, while ensuring the stable support of the boat structure, the weight of the wafer carrier boat and boat support is reasonably reduced, and the heat dissipation performance inside the boat support is further improved.

[0051] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A boat structure, characterized in that, Includes a boat support and multiple sheet boats placed vertically within the boat support; Each carrier boat includes a boat body for loading a number of battery cells, a plurality of first boat ears disposed on both sides of the boat body for cooperating with a pick-and-place device, and a plurality of second boat ears disposed on both sides of the boat body for cooperating with the boat support. The boat support includes a bracket for accommodating the plurality of sheet carrier boats, and a plurality of sets of support members disposed on the bracket, wherein a plurality of support members in each set of support members abut against a plurality of second boat ears in each sheet carrier boat.

2. The boat structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The boat body includes two end plates arranged opposite each other, and a plurality of slotted bars connected between the two end plates for fixing the battery cells. The first boat ear is disposed on the side of one of the end plates, and the second boat ear is connected between two adjacent slotted bars.

3. The boat structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The plurality of slot rods includes a first slot rod group, a second slot rod group located on one side of the first slot rod group and forming a battery cell loading space together, and a third slot rod group located on the other side of the first slot rod group and forming another battery cell loading space together. Each first slot rod in the first slot rod group has several limiting grooves on one side, each second slot rod in the second slot rod group has several limiting grooves on both sides, and each third slot rod in the third slot rod group has several limiting grooves on one side.

4. The boat structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bracket includes a base plate, a top rod, and two side rods that form an accommodating space. Each set of support members includes two support members disposed on the two side rods.

5. The boat structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, A reinforcing plate is provided at the connection between the base plate and the side rod.

6. The boat structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The top rod and the side rod have hollow interiors, and the side rod has multiple heat dissipation vents on one side near the top rod.

7. The boat structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The base plate is provided with weight reduction holes.

8. The boat structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The base plate is provided with a positioning extension for abutting against the supporting components in the boat base structure.

9. The boat structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The bottom end of the support member is provided with a first recess for abutting against the anti-tipping seat in the boat base structure, and the top end of the support member is provided with a second recess for abutting against the second boat lug.

10. A vertical furnace, characterized in that, It includes a furnace body, a boat-carrying base structure located within the furnace body, and a plurality of boat structures as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the plurality of boat structures are placed on the boat-carrying base structure.

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