Process furnace

Abstract

This application discloses a process furnace, which includes a furnace body and multiple electrical connectors. The furnace body comprises multiple furnace sections and at least one heating group. The furnace sections are distributed around the central axis of the furnace body, and adjacent furnace sections are connected. The heating group includes multiple heating elements, with each furnace section corresponding to a specific heating element in its respective heating group. The multiple electrical connectors are electrically connected to the heating elements of their respective heating groups, thus connecting the heating elements of the same heating group in parallel. The electrical connectors are distributed on the outer wall of the furnace body. This solution addresses the problem in related technologies where the distance between the electrical connectors and the heating elements is too close, easily causing short circuits and arcing that can damage the furnace body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor process equipment design technology, specifically relating to a process furnace. Background Technology

[0002] Silicon wafers undergo processing in a furnace. These furnaces are relatively large, and to reduce manufacturing complexity, they are typically designed as a split structure. During production, the furnace body is usually divided into two sections along its axis, which are then joined together to form the furnace body. Each section contains multiple heating elements and multiple electrical connections. Each heating element needs to be electrically connected to a specific set of electrical connections, ensuring that each element, when connected to a power source, forms a heating circuit with its corresponding electrical connection for heating.

[0003] However, in this structure, the distance between the electrical connection and the heating element is too close, which can easily cause short circuits and sparks, thus easily damaging the furnace body and making it difficult to heat normally, which in turn can affect the process. Utility Model Content

[0004] This utility model discloses a process furnace to solve the problem that the distance between the electrical connection part and the heating element in the process furnace involved in the related technology is too close, which can easily cause short circuits and sparks, resulting in damage to the furnace body.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0006] This application discloses a process furnace, which includes a furnace body and multiple electrical connectors, wherein:

[0007] The furnace body includes multiple furnace sections and at least one heating group. The multiple furnace sections are distributed around the central axis of the furnace body, and two adjacent furnace sections are connected. The heating group includes multiple heating elements. The multiple furnace sections correspond one-to-one with the multiple heating elements of the corresponding heating group. Multiple electrical connectors are electrically connected to the multiple heating elements of the corresponding heating group to connect the multiple heating elements of the same heating group in parallel.

[0008] The electrical connectors are distributed on the outer wall of the furnace body.

[0009] The technical solution adopted in this utility model can achieve the following technical effects:

[0010] The process furnace disclosed in this application improves the structure of the process furnace involved in the related technology by placing multiple electrical connectors on the outer wall of the furnace body instead of burying them in the furnace section. This allows the multiple electrical connectors to be kept as far away as possible from the multiple heating elements, thereby minimizing the possibility of multiple electrical connectors being too close to the multiple heating elements, which could easily cause short circuits and sparks, leading to damage to the furnace body. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the process furnace disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0012] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of the process furnace disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0013] Figure 3 This is another structural schematic diagram of the process furnace disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0014] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the mounting section disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0015] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another part of the installation section disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0016] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0017] 100-Furnace body, 110-Furnace section, 120-Heating group, 121 / 1211 / 1212-Heating element, 130-First shell, 140-Second shell, 150-Process space, 160-Furnace cover.

[0018] 200-Electrical connectors

[0019] 300 - Mounting part, 310 - Positioning groove, 311 - Groove opening, 312 - First port, 313 - Second port, 320 - Cover plate, 330 - First flange, 340 - Second flange, 350 - Groove body

[0020] 410 - First power connection group, 411 - First power connection section, 412 - Second power connection section, 420 - Second power connection group, 421 - Third power connection section, 422 - Fourth power connection section

[0021] 510 - First protective component, 520 - Second protective component

[0022] 600-Temperature Measuring Component

[0023] 700 - Heat sink. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0025] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and are not limited in number; for example, a first object can be one or more.

[0026] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5 This application discloses a process furnace, which includes a furnace body 100 and a plurality of electrical connectors 200.

[0028] The furnace body 100 is the main structure of the process furnace, used to form the process space 150 described later, so that silicon wafers can be processed within the process space 150. The furnace body 100 includes multiple furnace sections 110, which are distributed around the central axis of the furnace body 100, that is, the multiple furnace sections 110 are distributed circumferentially along the furnace body 100, and adjacent furnace sections 110 are connected, so that the multiple furnace sections 110 can enclose the process space 150.

[0029] The furnace body 100 also includes at least one heating group 120, which includes multiple heating elements 121. Multiple furnace sections 110 correspond one-to-one with the multiple heating elements 121 of the corresponding heating group 120. The multiple heating elements 121 of the corresponding heating group 120 are disposed within the multiple furnace sections 110, allowing the heating elements 121 to be located within the furnace body 100. The heating elements 121 are used to heat the process space 150 so that the temperature within the process space 150 reaches a preset temperature. Specifically, the heating element 121 may be a heating wire.

[0030] Multiple electrical connectors 200 are used to realize the parallel connection between multiple heating elements 121 of the corresponding heating group 120. The electrical connectors 200 are distributed on the outer wall of the furnace body 100. The multiple electrical connectors 200 are electrically connected to the multiple heating elements 121 of the corresponding heating group 120 to connect the multiple heating elements 121 of the same heating group 120 in parallel.

[0031] The process furnace disclosed in this application improves the structure of the process furnace involved in the related technology by placing multiple electrical connectors 200 on the outer wall of the furnace body 100 instead of embedding them in the furnace section 110. This allows the multiple electrical connectors 200 to be kept as far away as possible from the multiple heating elements 121, thereby avoiding the situation where multiple electrical connectors 200 are too close to the multiple heating elements 121, which could easily cause short circuits and sparks, resulting in damage to the furnace body 100.

[0032] Furthermore, after prolonged use, multiple electrical connectors 200 are prone to malfunction, such as burning out or melting, which can cause multiple heating elements 121 to fail to heat properly. In this case, if multiple electrical connectors 200 are placed inside the furnace body 100, the furnace body 100 may be damaged, requiring replacement. However, the furnace body 100 is relatively large, making replacement difficult and time-consuming, resulting in increased maintenance difficulty and time, which can affect the process and thus process efficiency.

[0033] In this structure, multiple electrical connectors 200 are located on the outer wall of the furnace body 100. This makes it less likely to damage the furnace body 100 if multiple electrical connectors 200 fail. Maintenance can be achieved by replacing the corresponding electrical connectors 200, which helps to reduce maintenance difficulty and time, so as to minimize the impact on the process and thus minimize the impact on process efficiency.

[0034] In addition, the multiple electrical connectors 200 are all located on the outer wall of the furnace body 100, which makes it easier for the multiple electrical connectors 200 to dissipate heat in a timely manner, thereby reducing the risk of the multiple electrical connectors 200 overheating.

[0035] In one embodiment, each of the multiple furnace sections 110 can be made of rigid insulation material, and each of the multiple furnace sections 110 can have multiple installation spaces, with each of the multiple heating elements 121 correspondingly installed in one of the multiple installation spaces. Specifically, the rigid insulation material can be high-purity alumina, polycrystalline mullite, etc., and this embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0036] This structure helps to ensure heating power and reduce heat loss. Moreover, this structure can achieve electrical isolation of multiple heating elements 121 as much as possible, thereby better isolating multiple heating elements 121 from multiple electrical connectors 200, so that multiple heating elements 121 can heat more stably.

[0037] Furthermore, if multiple electrical connectors 200 are respectively placed within multiple furnace sections 110, additional space needs to be created within each furnace section 110 to accommodate the multiple electrical connectors 200. This would increase the processing difficulty of the multiple furnace sections 110 and make it difficult to guarantee the mechanical strength of the multiple furnace sections 110. This structure, by placing multiple electrical connectors 200 outside the furnace body 100, avoids the need to create additional space within each furnace section 110 to accommodate the multiple electrical connectors 200. This helps reduce processing difficulty and helps ensure the mechanical strength of the multiple furnace sections 110, thereby ensuring the overall mechanical strength of the furnace body 100.

[0038] In a feasible technical solution, when there are multiple heating groups 120, the multiple heating groups 120 can be distributed along the central axis direction, and the heating sections of the heating elements 121 can be evenly distributed in the corresponding furnace sections 110, so that the multiple heating elements 121 can heat the corresponding furnace sections 110 more evenly, and thus heat the process space 150 more evenly.

[0039] In a feasible technical solution, the process furnace may further include at least one mounting part 300 fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100. The mounting part 300 may be provided with a positioning groove 310, which may extend around the central axis. Multiple electrical connectors 200 may be positioned in the corresponding positioning grooves 310. This makes the arrangement of multiple electrical connectors 200 more neat and orderly, which facilitates maintenance and repair, reduces mutual interference between multiple electrical connectors 200, and improves aesthetics.

[0040] Specifically, the mounting part 300 may include a groove 350, and a positioning groove 310 may be provided on the groove 350. There may be one mounting part 300, and multiple electrical connectors 200 may be positioned in the positioning groove 310 of one mounting part 300. Of course, there may also be multiple mounting parts 300. In this case, multiple mounting parts 300 may be fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100 at intervals along the central axis, and multiple electrical connectors 200 may be positioned in their respective positioning grooves 310. In addition, when the furnace body 100 includes the second shell 140 described later, multiple mounting parts 300 may be fixed to the outer wall of the second shell 140 to achieve fixation of multiple mounting parts 300 on the outer wall of the furnace body 100. In this case, the outer wall of the second shell 140 is the outer wall of the furnace body 100.

[0041] Furthermore, when there are multiple mounting parts 300 and the multiple mounting parts 300 are fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100 at intervals along the central axis, the multiple mounting parts 300 can be relatively distributed to facilitate installation and at the same time help to further improve the aesthetics of the process furnace.

[0042] Optionally, the multiple mounting parts 300 can be evenly distributed on the outer side of one of the multiple furnace sections 110, thereby making the layout of the multiple mounting parts 300 more neat and orderly, which helps to reduce the installation difficulty. Of course, the multiple mounting parts 300 can also be distributed on the outer side of different furnace sections 110, so that the layout of the multiple mounting parts 300 is more flexible.

[0043] In one embodiment, each positioning groove 310 may have a groove opening 311, a first port 312, and a second port 313. The first port 312 and the second port 313 may be distributed at both ends of the positioning groove 310 in its (i.e., positioning groove 310) extension direction, thereby facilitating the connection of multiple electrical connectors 200 to the corresponding heating element 121 through the corresponding first port 312 and the corresponding second port 313.

[0044] Furthermore, the mounting part 300 may include a cover plate 320, which can be mounted on the positioning groove 310 and cover the groove opening 311, thereby enabling the multiple electrical connectors 200 to be positioned more stably in the corresponding positioning grooves 310.

[0045] In feasible embodiments, the mounting part 300 may further include a first flange 330, which may be connected to the side wall of the positioning groove 310 adjacent to the furnace body 100, that is, the first flange 330 may be connected to the groove 350 and may be located on the side of the groove 350 adjacent to the furnace body 100. The first flange 330 may be located on the outside of the groove 350, thereby located outside the positioning groove 310. The cover plate 320 may be connected to the first flange 330 to be installed on the groove 350, thereby installed on the positioning groove 310. The cover plate 320 may cover the opening of the positioning groove 310. The groove 350 may be fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100 by the first flange 330, so that the mounting part 300 may be fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100 by the first flange 330. Specifically, the first flange 330 may be fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100 by welding, bonding or snap-fitting.

[0046] In this structure, since the first flange 330 is located outside the positioning groove 310, the connection structure between the cover plate 320 and the first flange 330 is also located outside the positioning groove 310. This avoids the connection structure between the cover plate 320 and the first flange 330 from easily contacting the corresponding electrical connectors 200 in the positioning groove 310, which could lead to wear on the corresponding electrical connectors 200. This reduces the risk of short circuits and arcing caused by wear on multiple electrical connectors 200 due to wear on the corresponding connection structure between the cover plate 320 and the corresponding first flange 330. Optionally, the first flange 330 can be connected to the groove body 350 by welding or threaded connection, and the cover plate 320 can be connected to the first flange 330 by threaded connection, welding, bonding, or snap-fit.

[0047] In a further technical solution, the mounting part 300 may also include a second flange 340, which may be connected to the first flange 330. The groove 350 may be connected to the second flange 340 through the first flange 330. The second flange 340 may be perpendicular to the first flange 330. The second flange 340 may be located outside the positioning groove 310. The mounting part 300 may be fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100 through the second flange 340. The first flange 330 may be fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100 through the second flange 340. The groove 350 may be fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100 through the first flange 330 and the second flange 340.

[0048] Specifically, the second flange 340 can be fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100 by threaded connection or snap-fit, and the second flange 340 can be connected to the first flange 330 by welding or threaded connection. Of course, in other embodiments, the first flange 330, the second flange 340 and the tank body 350 can also be an integral structure, which helps to simplify the installation process and facilitate installation.

[0049] Because the second flange 340 is located outside the positioning groove 310, the connection structure between the second flange 340 and the outer wall of the furnace body 100 is located outside the positioning groove 310. This avoids the connection structure between the second flange 340 and the outer wall of the furnace body 100 from easily contacting the corresponding electrical connector 200 in the positioning groove 310, which would easily cause wear on the corresponding electrical connector 200 in the positioning groove 310. This helps to reduce the risk of short circuits and sparks caused by wear on multiple electrical connectors 200 by the corresponding connection structure between the second flange 340 and the outer wall of the furnace body 100.

[0050] Optionally, the second flange 340 can be attached to and fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100. This structure provides a larger connection area between the second flange 340 and the outer wall of the furnace body 100, thereby improving the stability of the connection between the second flange 340 and the outer wall of the furnace body 100, and allowing the mounting part 300 to be more stably fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100.

[0051] When the furnace body 100 includes a second housing 140, the second flange 340 can be fixed to the outer wall of the second housing 140 to fix the multiple mounting parts 300 on the outer wall of the furnace body 100. In this case, the outer wall of the second housing 140 is the outer wall of the furnace body 100.

[0052] In the embodiments disclosed in this application, the process furnace may further include at least one first electrical connection group 410 disposed on the outer wall of the furnace body 100. The first electrical connection group 410 may include a first electrical connection part 411 and a second electrical connection part 412. The first electrical connection group 410 may correspond one-to-one with the heating group 120. The plurality of heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 may be electrically connected to one of the corresponding first electrical connection part 411 and the corresponding second electrical connection part 412 respectively. The plurality of heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 may be electrically connected one-to-one with the plurality of electrical connectors 200, so as to be electrically connected one-to-one with the other of the corresponding first electrical connection part 411 and the corresponding second electrical connection part 412 through the plurality of electrical connectors 200, thereby connecting the plurality of heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 in parallel to the corresponding first electrical connection group 410. Of course, since the first electrical connection group 410 can correspond one-to-one with the heating group 120, multiple heating elements 121 of the same heating group 120 can be connected in parallel to the corresponding first electrical connection group 410.

[0053] In this structure, the first power connection part 411 and the second power connection part 412 are used to connect to the corresponding power supply so that the first power connection group 410 can be connected to the corresponding power supply, thereby supplying power to the multiple heating elements 121 of the corresponding heating group 120. In this structure, the first power connection group 410 can more conveniently connect to the corresponding power supply, thereby making it easier to supply power to the multiple heating elements 121 of the corresponding heating group 120.

[0054] For example, the heating assembly 120 may include two heating elements 121. The first end of one of the two heating elements 121 (e.g., heating element 1211) may be close to the corresponding first electrical contact 411, and the second end of the other heating element 121 (e.g., heating element 1211) may be away from the corresponding first electrical contact 411. The first end of the other heating element 121 (e.g., heating element 1212) may be close to the corresponding second electrical contact 412, and the second end of the other heating element 121 (e.g., heating element 1212) may be away from the corresponding second electrical contact 412.

[0055] The first end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating assembly 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical contact 411, and the first end of the other of the two heating elements 121 of the heating assembly 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical contact 412. The second end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating assembly 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be electrically connected to the corresponding electrical connector 200, and the corresponding electrical connector 200 can be electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical contact 412, so that the second end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating assembly 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical contact 412 through the corresponding electrical connector 200.

[0056] Meanwhile, the second end of the other of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be electrically connected to the corresponding electrical connector 200, and the corresponding electrical connector 200 can be electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical connection part 411, so that the second end of the other of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical connection part 411 through the corresponding electrical connector 200, thereby connecting the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 in parallel to the corresponding first electrical connection group 410.

[0057] In other words, the first end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical connection part 411, and the second end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical connection part 412 through the corresponding electrical connector 200, so as to electrically connect one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) to the corresponding first electrical connection group 410.

[0058] Meanwhile, the first end of the other of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical connection part 412, and the second end of the other of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical connection part 411 through the corresponding electrical connector 200, so as to electrically connect the other of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) to the corresponding first electrical connection group 410, thereby connecting the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 in parallel to the corresponding first electrical connection group 410.

[0059] Of course, in other embodiments, when the heating group 120 includes two heating elements 121, the first ends of both heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 can be close to the first electrical connection group 410, and the first ends of both heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 can be far away from the first electrical connection group 410. The first ends of both heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 can be electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical connection part 411, and the second ends of both heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 can be electrically connected to the corresponding electrical connectors 200, and the corresponding electrical connectors 200 can be electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical connection parts 412, so that the second ends of both heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 can be electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical connection parts 412 through the corresponding electrical connectors 200, thereby connecting the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 in parallel to the first electrical connection group 410.

[0060] Furthermore, when there are multiple first electrical connection groups 410 and multiple heating groups 120, the multiple first electrical connection groups 410 can be distributed along the extension direction of the central axis, and the multiple heating groups 120 can be distributed along the extension direction of the central axis. The multiple first electrical connection groups 410 are used to connect multiple power sources one-to-one. The multiple heating elements 121 of each heating group 120 can be connected in parallel to the corresponding first electrical connection group 410, so that multiple power sources can supply power to multiple heating groups 120 one-to-one through the multiple first electrical connection groups 410. Specifically, the multiple electrical connectors 200 can all be wires, such as high-temperature resistant single-core power cables, and the multiple first electrical connection parts 411 and multiple second electrical connection parts 412 can all be electrical connection posts or electrical connection springs. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific structure of the electrical connectors 200, the first electrical connection parts 411 and the second electrical connection parts 412.

[0061] With multiple first electrical groups 410 connected to multiple power sources in a one-to-one correspondence, this structure allows each heating element 121 of each heating group 120 to be connected to its corresponding power source, thereby enabling the multiple heating elements 121 of each heating group 120 to be connected in parallel to their respective power sources. This structure allows multiple heating groups 120 to be controlled one-to-one by multiple power sources, thus facilitating the control of the heating power of each heating group 120.

[0062] Specifically, the heating power of the multiple heating groups 120 can all be the same, so that the multiple heating elements 121 of each heating group 120 can heat consistently, which is beneficial to achieving temperature consistency within the process space 150. Of course, the heating power of the multiple heating groups 120 can also be different, so that the multiple heating elements 121 of each heating group 120 can achieve different heating powers, allowing different areas within the process space 150 to have different temperatures. This enables more flexible temperature control within the process space 150 to suit different process scenarios. Specifically, the power supply voltage can be 220 volts or 380 volts; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0063] To reduce safety hazards in the process furnace, the process furnace may also include a second protective component 520. The second protective component 520 can be fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body 100. The second protective component 520 is arranged opposite to and at intervals with each first electrical connection group 410, thereby covering the first electrical connection group 410 through the second protective component 520. This minimizes the possibility of accidental contact with the first electrical connection group 410 that could easily lead to electric shock when the first electrical connection group 410 is connected to the corresponding power source, thus improving safety performance and reducing safety hazards.

[0064] Furthermore, when the furnace body 100 includes the first housing 130 and the second housing 140 described below, the first electrical connection group 410 can be exposed on the outer wall of the first housing 130, the second protective member 520 can be fixed to the outer wall of the first housing 130, and the second housing 140 can avoid the second protective member 520 and the first electrical connection group 410, thereby allowing the first electrical connection group 410 to be exposed on the outer wall of the furnace body 100 and achieving the fixation of the second protective member 520 on the outer wall of the furnace body 100. In this case, at least a portion of the outer wall of the first housing 130 and the outer wall of the second housing 140 constitute the outer wall of the furnace body 100.

[0065] In this embodiment, there can be two furnace sections 110, which can be symmetrically distributed around a central axis, i.e., the two furnace sections 110 can be symmetrically distributed on both sides of the central axis. The heating group 120 can include two heating elements 121, which can be correspondingly arranged in the two furnace sections 110. This structure makes the production of the furnace sections 110 more convenient, thereby reducing manufacturing difficulty. Of course, in other embodiments, there can also be three furnace sections 110, and correspondingly, the heating group 120 can include three heating elements 121. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0066] Meanwhile, the first end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical contact 411, the first end of the other of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical contact 412, the second end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be electrically connected to the corresponding electrical connector 200, and the corresponding electrical connector 200 can be electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical contact 412, so that the second end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical contact 412 through the corresponding electrical connector 200.

[0067] The second end of the other of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be electrically connected to the corresponding electrical connector 200, and the corresponding electrical connector 200 can be electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical connection part 411, so that the second end of the other of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical connection part 411 through the corresponding electrical connector 200, thereby connecting the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 in parallel to the corresponding first electrical connection group 410.

[0068] Specifically, in this case, the first end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating assembly 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be close to the corresponding first electrical contact 411, and the second end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating assembly 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be far away from the corresponding first electrical contact 411. The first end of the other of the two heating elements 121 of the heating assembly 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be close to the corresponding second electrical contact 412, and the second end of the other of the two heating elements 121 of the heating assembly 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be far away from the corresponding second electrical contact 412.

[0069] Optionally, the two heating elements 121 of each heating group 120 can be symmetrically distributed around the central axis, so that they can be symmetrically distributed on both sides of the central axis direction. The heating sections of the heating elements 121 can be evenly distributed in the corresponding furnace section 110, so that the two heating elements 121 of each heating group 120 can be evenly heated in the circumferential direction of the central axis of the furnace body 100, and the problem of uneven local heating causing damage to the furnace body 100 should be avoided as much as possible.

[0070] In a further technical solution, the process furnace may further include at least one second electrical connection group 420 disposed on the outer wall of the furnace body 100. The second electrical connection group 420 may include a third electrical connection part 421 and a fourth electrical connection part 422, and the second electrical connection group 420 may correspond one-to-one with the heating group 120. Specifically, the plurality of third electrical connection parts 421 and the plurality of fourth electrical connection parts 422 may all be electrical connection posts or electrical connection springs. Similarly, the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific structure of the third electrical connection part 421 and the fourth electrical connection part 422.

[0071] The second end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating assembly 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding third electrical connection part 421, and the second end of the other heating element 121 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding fourth electrical connection part 422. The third electrical connection part 421 can be electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical connection part 412 through the corresponding electrical connector 200, and the fourth electrical connection part 422 can be electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical connection part 411 through the corresponding electrical connector 200, so that the two heating elements 121 of the heating assembly 120 are connected in parallel to the corresponding first electrical connection group 410 and the corresponding second electrical connection group 420. Specifically, the second end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating assembly 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be close to the corresponding third electrical connection part 421, and the second end of the other heating element 121 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be close to the corresponding fourth electrical connection part 422.

[0072] In other words, the second end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be connected to the corresponding third electrical connection part 421, and the first end of one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) can be connected to the corresponding fourth electrical connection part 422 in sequence through the corresponding first electrical connection part 411 and the corresponding electrical connector 200, thereby electrically connecting one of the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1211) to the corresponding second electrical connection group 420.

[0073] Meanwhile, the second end of the other of the two heating elements 121 in the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be connected to the corresponding fourth electrical connection part 422, and the first end of the other of the two heating elements 121 in the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) can be connected to the corresponding third electrical connection part 421 in sequence through the corresponding second electrical connection part 412 and the corresponding electrical connector 200, thereby electrically connecting the other of the two heating elements 121 in the heating group 120 (e.g., heating element 1212) to the corresponding second electrical connection group 420, and thus enabling the two heating elements 121 in the heating group 120 to be connected in parallel to the corresponding second electrical connection group 420.

[0074] As mentioned above, this structure can connect the two heating elements 121 in the heating group 120 in parallel to the corresponding first electrical connection group 410, or connect the two heating elements 121 in the heating group 120 in parallel to the corresponding second electrical connection group 420. Thus, the two heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 are connected in parallel to the corresponding first electrical connection group 410 and the corresponding second electrical connection group 420. The third electrical connection part 421 and the fourth electrical connection part 422 are used to connect to the corresponding power supply so that the second electrical connection group 420 can be connected to the corresponding power supply, thereby supplying power to the multiple heating elements 121 of the corresponding heating group 120.

[0075] In other words, this structure can supply power to the multiple heating elements 121 of the corresponding heating group 120 by connecting to the corresponding power source through the first power connection group 410, and it can also supply power to the multiple heating elements 121 of the corresponding heating group 120 by connecting to the corresponding power source through the second power connection group 420. Thus, it can flexibly choose to connect to the corresponding power source through the first power connection group 410 or the second power connection group 420 according to actual needs.

[0076] Specifically, when the first power connection group 410 is connected to the corresponding power source, the first power connection part 411 and the second power connection part 412 can be electrically connected to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the corresponding power source, respectively. When the second power connection group 420 is connected to the corresponding power source, the third power connection part 421 and the fourth power connection part 422 are electrically connected to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the corresponding power source, respectively.

[0077] Furthermore, when there are multiple second electrical connection groups 420 and multiple heating groups 120, the multiple second electrical connection groups 420 can be distributed along the extension direction of the central axis, and the multiple heating groups 120 can be distributed along the extension direction of the central axis. The multiple second electrical connection groups 420 are used to connect multiple power sources one-to-one. The multiple heating elements 121 of each heating group 120 can be connected in parallel to the corresponding second electrical connection group 420, so that multiple power sources can supply power to multiple heating groups 120 one-to-one through the multiple second electrical connection groups 420.

[0078] With multiple second electrical groups 420 connected to multiple power sources in a one-to-one correspondence, this structure allows multiple heating elements 121 of each heating group 120 to be connected to the corresponding power source, thereby enabling multiple heating elements 121 of each heating group 120 to be connected in parallel to the corresponding power source, so that multiple heating groups 120 can be controlled one-to-one by multiple power sources, thus facilitating the control of the heating power of each heating group 120.

[0079] Specifically, the heating power of the multiple heating groups 120 can all be the same, so that the multiple heating elements 121 of each heating group 120 can heat consistently, which is beneficial to achieving temperature consistency within the process space 150. Of course, the heating power of the multiple heating groups 120 can also be different, so that the multiple heating elements 121 of each heating group 120 can achieve different heating powers, allowing different areas within the process space 150 to have different temperatures. This enables more flexible temperature control within the process space 150 to suit different process scenarios. In this case, the power supply voltage can be 220 volts or 380 volts; this embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0080] Optionally, when all electrical connectors 200 are wires, the furnace body 100 can be a cylindrical structure, so that both furnace sections 110 can be semi-annular structures. The length of the electrical connector 200 can be 1.1 to 1.15 times the outer circumferential length of the furnace section 110, thereby avoiding the electrical connector 200 being too long or too short, which would easily cause wear during long-term operation and thus lead to short circuit and sparking.

[0081] The process furnace may also include a first protective member 510, which can be fixed to the outer surface of the furnace body 100. The first protective member 510 can be arranged opposite to and spaced apart from the second electrical connection group 420, so that the second electrical connection group 420 is covered by the first protective member 510, so as to avoid accidental contact with the second electrical connection group 420 and the possibility of electric shock when the second electrical connection group 420 is connected to the corresponding power supply, thereby further improving safety performance and reducing safety hazards.

[0082] Furthermore, when the furnace body 100 includes a first housing 130 and a second housing 140, the second electrical connection group 420 can be exposed on the outer wall of the first housing 130, the first protective member 510 can be fixed to the outer wall of the first housing 130, and the second housing 140 can avoid the first protective member 510 and the second electrical connection group 420, thereby allowing the second electrical connection group 420 to be exposed on the outer wall of the furnace body 100, and enabling the first protective member 510 to be fixed on the outer wall of the furnace body 100. In this case, at least a portion of the outer wall of the first housing 130 and the outer wall of the second housing 140 constitute the outer wall of the furnace body 100.

[0083] In a feasible technical solution, the process furnace may further include at least one temperature measuring element 600, which may be disposed on the furnace body 100. The temperature measuring element 600 is used to detect the temperature of the furnace body 100, thereby facilitating the monitoring of the heating power of the heating element 121 and enabling the adjustment of the heating power of the heating element 121 based on the detection results. Specifically, the temperature measuring element 600 may be a thermocouple, a thermistor, or a semiconductor temperature sensor. The specific type of the temperature measuring element 600 is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0084] Furthermore, in this structure, since the multiple heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 are connected in parallel and distributed one-to-one in multiple furnace sections 110, the multiple heating elements 121 of the heating group 120 can achieve the same heating power, thereby making the temperatures of the multiple furnace sections 110 basically consistent. In other words, this structure can provide feedback on the temperatures of multiple furnace sections 110 by detecting the temperature of one of the multiple furnace sections 110, thereby avoiding the need to set too many temperature measuring elements 600 and simplifying the structure.

[0085] As described above, in this case, the furnace body 100 may include at least one temperature zone, each temperature zone may include at least one furnace section 110 and at least one heating group 120, each temperature measuring element 600 may correspond one-to-one with the corresponding temperature zone, and each temperature measuring element 600 is used to detect the temperature of the corresponding temperature zone.

[0086] Furthermore, there can be multiple temperature measuring elements 600, which can be distributed along the extension direction of the central axis, thereby enabling the detection of the temperature in different areas of the furnace body 100, which is beneficial for more accurate monitoring of the heating power of the heating element 121.

[0087] Optionally, the furnace body 100 may include multiple temperature zones, which may be distributed along the extension direction of the central axis. Multiple heating elements 120 may also be distributed along the extension direction of the central axis, and multiple temperature measuring elements 600 are used to detect the temperature of their respective temperature zones. This structure allows for adjustment of the heating power of the corresponding heating element 121 based on the detection results of each temperature zone, thereby facilitating temperature control of different temperature zones.

[0088] In this embodiment, the process furnace may further include a heat sink 700, and the furnace body 100 may further include a first shell 130. Multiple furnace sections 110 may be evenly disposed within the first shell 130. The heat sink 700 may be fixed to the outer wall of the first shell 130, and multiple electrical connectors 200 may be evenly disposed on the outer wall of the first shell 130 to achieve fixation of the multiple electrical connectors 200 on the outer wall of the furnace body 100. In this case, the outer wall of the first shell 130 is the outer wall of the furnace body 100. This structure allows for relatively rapid heat dissipation through the heat sink 700 after the process is completed, thereby improving heat dissipation efficiency.

[0089] To further improve heat dissipation efficiency, multiple heat dissipation components 700 can be used. Optionally, the heat dissipation component 700 can be a heat dissipation pipe, which can exchange heat with the furnace body 100 through a heat dissipation fluid, such as water or oil, to dissipate heat. Of course, in other embodiments, the heat dissipation component 700 can also be a heat sink to quickly dissipate heat by increasing the heat dissipation area. The specific structure of the heat dissipation component 700 is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0090] In a feasible technical solution, the furnace body 100 may further include a second shell 140, which may be disposed outside the first shell 130. The second shell 140 may cover at least a portion of the heat sink 700, and a plurality of electrical connectors 200 may be evenly disposed on the outer wall of the second shell 140, so that the plurality of electrical connectors 200 are evenly disposed on the outer wall of the furnace body 100. In this case, the outer wall of the second shell 140 is the outer wall of the furnace body 100.

[0091] This structure can cover at least part of the heat sink 700 through the second housing 140 to conceal its appearance, thereby improving the aesthetics of the process furnace and protecting the heat sink 700 to improve its stability.

[0092] To reduce manufacturing difficulty, the second shell 140 may include multiple sub-shells, which can be distributed around the central axis to avoid the situation where the size of the multiple sub-shells is too large and inconvenient to produce. In the case of two furnace sections 110, there can also be two sub-shells, which can be respectively located on the outer side of the two furnace sections 110.

[0093] In a further technical solution, the process furnace can be a vertical furnace, and the furnace body 100 can also include a furnace cover 160 and a base. The furnace cover 160 and the base can be respectively located at opposite ends of the furnace body 100 in the direction of extension of its central axis, so that multiple furnace sections 110, furnace cover 160 and base can together form a process space 150.

[0094] The above embodiments of this utility model focus on describing the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features of the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form a better embodiment. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0095] 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, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A process furnace, characterized by Includes a furnace body (100) and multiple electrical connections (200), wherein: The furnace body (100) includes multiple furnace sections (110) and at least one heating group (120). The multiple furnace sections (110) are distributed around the central axis of the furnace body (100), and two adjacent furnace sections (110) are connected. The heating group (120) includes multiple heating elements (121). The multiple furnace sections (110) correspond one-to-one with the multiple heating elements (121) of the corresponding heating group (120). Multiple electrical connectors (200) are electrically connected to the multiple heating elements (121) of the corresponding heating group (120) to connect the multiple heating elements (121) of the same heating group (120) in parallel. The electrical connectors (200) are distributed on the outer wall of the furnace body (100).

2. The process furnace of claim 1, wherein, The process furnace also includes at least one mounting part (300) fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body (100), the mounting part (300) is provided with a positioning groove (310), the positioning groove (310) extends around the central axis, and the plurality of electrical connectors (200) are positioned in the corresponding positioning grooves (310).

3. The process furnace of claim 2, wherein, The mounting part (300) further includes a cover plate (320). The positioning groove (310) has a groove (311), a first port (312), and a second port (313). The first port (312) and the second port (313) are respectively distributed at both ends of the positioning groove (310) in its extension direction. The cover plate (320) is installed on the positioning groove (310) and covers the groove (311). The cover plate (320) and the first port (312) form a first threading opening, and the cover plate (320) and the second port (313) form a second threading opening.

4. The process furnace of claim 3, wherein, The mounting part (300) further includes a first flange (330), which is connected to the positioning groove (310) adjacent to the side wall of the furnace body (100). The cover plate (320) is connected to the first flange (330) to be installed on the positioning groove (310). The mounting part (300) is fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body (100) through the first flange (330).

5. The process furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that The mounting part (300) further includes a second flange (340), which is connected to and perpendicular to the first flange (330). The mounting part (300) is fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body (100) through the second flange (340), and the first flange (330) is fixed to the outer wall of the furnace body (100) through the second flange (340).

6. The process furnace of claim 1, wherein, The process furnace also includes at least one first electrical connection group (410) disposed on the outer wall of the furnace body (100). The first electrical connection group (410) includes a first electrical connection part (411) and a second electrical connection part (412). The first electrical connection group (410) corresponds one-to-one with the heating group (120). The plurality of heating elements (121) of the heating group (120) are electrically connected to one of the corresponding first electrical connection part (411) and the corresponding second electrical connection part (412), and the plurality of heating elements (121) of the heating group (120) are electrically connected to the other of the corresponding first electrical connection part (411) and the corresponding second electrical connection part (412) through a plurality of electrical connectors (200) to connect the plurality of heating elements (121) of the heating group (120) in parallel to the corresponding first electrical connection group (410).

7. The process furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that There are two furnace sections (110), which are symmetrically distributed around the central axis. The heating group (120) includes two heating elements (121). The first end of one of the two heating elements (121) of the heating group (120) is opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical contact (411), and the first end of the other is opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical contact (412). The second end of one of the two heating elements (121) of the heating group (120) is electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical contact (412) through the corresponding electrical connector (200), and the second end of the other is electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical contact (411) through the corresponding electrical connector (200), so that the two heating elements (121) of the heating group (120) are connected in parallel to the corresponding first electrical contact group (410).

8. The process furnace of claim 7, wherein, The process furnace also includes at least one second electrical connection group (420) disposed on the outer wall of the furnace body (100). The second electrical connection group (420) includes a third electrical connection part (421) and a fourth electrical connection part (422). The second electrical connection group (420) corresponds one-to-one with the heating group (120). The second end of one of the two heating elements (121) of the heating group (120) is opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding third electrical contact (421), and the second end of the other is opposite to and electrically connected to the corresponding fourth electrical contact (422). The third electrical contact (421) is electrically connected to the corresponding second electrical contact (412) through the corresponding electrical connector (200), and the fourth electrical contact (422) is electrically connected to the corresponding first electrical contact (411) through the corresponding electrical connector (200), so that the two heating elements (121) of the heating group (120) are connected in parallel to the corresponding first electrical contact (410) and the corresponding second electrical contact (420).

9. The process furnace of claim 1, wherein, The process furnace also includes a heat sink (700), the furnace body (100) also includes a first shell (130), the plurality of furnace sections (110) are all disposed inside the first shell (130), the plurality of electrical connectors (200) are all disposed on the outer wall of the first shell (130), and the heat sink (700) is fixed to the outer wall of the first shell (130).

10. The process furnace of claim 9, wherein, The furnace body (100) further comprises a second shell (140) arranged outside the first shell (130), the second shell (140) covering at least part of the heat dissipation member (700), and the plurality of electric connectors (200) are arranged on the outer wall of the second shell (140).

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