Process furnace and process plant

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of semiconductor and photovoltaic, and particularly relates to a process furnace and process equipment, which solves the problem of heat shock caused by large temperature difference during the process of sheet entering the furnace mouth of the process furnace in the related art. The process furnace comprises an inner furnace tube, at least one outer shell assembly, a first heating assembly, a second outer shell assembly and a second heating assembly, the inner furnace tube has a furnace cavity extending along a first direction, the furnace cavity comprises a preheating cavity and a process cavity connected in communication, the first outer shell assembly is arranged at a position corresponding to the preheating cavity, the first heating assembly is arranged at the first outer shell assembly, the second outer shell assembly is arranged at a position corresponding to the process cavity, the first outer shell assembly is located on one side of the second outer shell assembly close to the furnace mouth in the first direction, and the second heating assembly is arranged at the second outer shell assembly. The process furnace and process equipment provided by the present disclosure solve the heat shock problem of the sheet entering the furnace mouth of the process furnace, and improve the process uniformity and process quality of the sheet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the fields of semiconductor and photovoltaic technology, and in particular to a process furnace and process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing of photovoltaic or semiconductor products, high-temperature tube furnaces are a core heat treatment device, widely used for high-temperature processes such as diffusion, oxidation, and annealing of materials like silicon wafers. A significant problem currently exists in the operation of high-temperature tube furnaces: during process execution, the internal temperature of the furnace is extremely high (typically 500°C to 800°C or even higher), while the silicon wafers and other workpieces awaiting feeding are at room temperature (approximately 25°C). Because the quartz furnace tubes are supported by an insulation tank near the furnace opening, during feeding, the low-temperature workpieces absorb a large amount of heat through conduction and radiation as they enter the quartz furnace tubes. This significant temperature fluctuation causes a sharp drop in temperature at the furnace opening, affecting the uniformity and quality of the wafer processing. Furthermore, to maintain the required temperature profile, the heating elements located near the insulation tank must operate at continuously high power to compensate for heat loss, placing them under constant overload and reducing their lifespan. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a process furnace and process equipment to solve the problem of thermal shock caused by large temperature differences when sheet material enters the process furnace from the furnace opening in the related art.

[0004] In a first aspect, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a process furnace, comprising: an inner furnace tube having a furnace cavity extending along a first direction, the inner furnace tube having a furnace opening on at least one side of the first direction communicating with the furnace cavity and the outside, the furnace cavity including a preheating cavity and a process cavity communicating with each other, the preheating cavity being located near the furnace opening; at least one first outer shell assembly sleeved on the outside of the inner furnace tube, the first outer shell assembly being disposed at a position corresponding to the preheating cavity; a first heating assembly disposed on the first outer shell assembly, the first heating assembly being configured to heat the corresponding preheating cavity to a preset temperature; a second outer shell assembly sleeved on the outside of the inner furnace tube, the second outer shell assembly being disposed at a position corresponding to the process cavity, the first outer shell assembly being located on the side of the second outer shell assembly near the furnace opening in the first direction; and a second heating assembly disposed on the second outer shell assembly, the second heating assembly being configured to heat the process cavity to a process temperature, the process temperature being higher than the preset temperature.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first heating assembly includes: a first heating element arranged around the periphery of the first housing assembly; a first temperature detection element disposed at a position on the first housing assembly corresponding to the furnace opening, the first temperature detection element being configured to detect the temperature of the preheating chamber; and a first control element electrically connected to the first temperature detection element and the first heating element, the first control element being configured to control the heating temperature of the first heating element according to the temperature detected by the first temperature detection element, so as to adjust the temperature of the preheating chamber to a preset temperature.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first housing assembly includes a plurality of components that are sequentially connected or disconnected along a first direction, and the preheating cavity includes a plurality of sub-cavities that are sequentially arranged and connected along the first direction, with each first housing assembly corresponding to one sub-cavity.

[0007] In some embodiments, the heating temperature of each first heating element is individually adjusted, and the preset temperatures of multiple sub-cavities increase sequentially along the direction from the preheating cavity to the process cavity. The first heating assembly further includes an electrical connection module disposed on the outside of the first housing assembly, and the electrical connection module is electrically connected to the first heating element and an external power supply.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first heating element includes a plurality of connected or disconnected heating strips arranged at intervals along the inner periphery of the first housing assembly. The first housing assembly includes: a first insulation layer sleeved on the outside of the inner furnace tube, the heating strips being at least partially embedded in the first insulation layer, or the heating strips being disposed on the surface of the first insulation layer, and a housing disposed on the outer periphery of the first insulation layer.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first housing assembly further includes: a second insulation layer disposed between the housing and the first insulation layer, the second insulation layer covering the outer periphery of the first insulation layer, and the housing covering the outer periphery of the second insulation layer; wherein the thermal conductivity of the first insulation layer is less than that of the second insulation layer, and the second insulation layer is an elastic insulation material.

[0010] In some embodiments, it further includes: a connector for detachably connecting the first housing assembly and the second housing assembly.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second heating assembly includes: a plurality of second heating elements arranged sequentially along a first direction on the second housing assembly, each second heating element being arranged around the periphery of the second housing assembly, the second heating elements being configured to heat a corresponding area in the process cavity, and the heating temperature of each second heating element being individually adjustable.

[0012] In some embodiments, the furnace tube further includes: a furnace door assembly disposed in a first direction on the side of the inner furnace tube near the furnace opening, and a portion of the furnace door assembly contacts the outer side wall of the inner furnace tube; the furnace door assembly is configured to block or open the furnace opening and is configured to support the inner furnace tube.

[0013] In a second aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a process apparatus, including: the process furnace described above, configured to process sheet material; and a loading and unloading mechanism disposed on the side of the process furnace facing the furnace opening, configured to load the sheet material from the furnace opening into the furnace cavity of the process furnace or unload it from the furnace cavity.

[0014] The process furnace and process equipment provided in this disclosure, through a first outer shell assembly and a first heating assembly disposed near the furnace opening, and a second outer shell assembly and a second heating assembly disposed at the corresponding process cavity location, ensure that the preheating cavity at the furnace opening is at a preset temperature and the process cavity is at the process temperature. During the process of feeding the sheet to be processed from the furnace opening into the process cavity, the sheet can be preheated to the preset temperature in the preheating cavity by the first heating assembly, and then heated to the process temperature by the second heating assembly after entering the process cavity. This combination structure allows the sheet at room temperature to absorb a certain amount of heat in the preheating cavity to a temperature lower than or equal to the preset temperature during the feeding process from the furnace opening, and then absorb heat in the process cavity to the process temperature. This avoids the problem of thermal shock caused by the sheet directly absorbing heat from the high-temperature process cavity, thereby reducing drastic temperature fluctuations in the area near the furnace opening and ensuring the uniformity of the sheet process and product quality.

[0015] In addition, compared with the prior art which sets a heat insulation barrel on the outer periphery of the inner furnace tube near the furnace opening, this disclosure replaces the heat insulation barrel with a first outer shell assembly equipped with a first heating component. This allows the first heating component to heat the fed sheet to a preset temperature first, and then heat it to the process temperature through the second heating component. The temperature of the sheet can rise in a gradient, avoiding the problem of reduced service life caused by the heating component running at high power continuously due to drastic temperature fluctuations in the furnace cavity, and reducing maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this disclosure to explain the disclosure and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0017] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a simplified schematic of a process equipment provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of a process furnace provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 3 The image shown is a cross-sectional view of a process furnace provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 4 The image shown is a cross-sectional view of a process furnace provided in another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 5 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of a first housing assembly provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure label: 100. Process equipment; 10. Process furnace; 1. Inner furnace tube; 11. Furnace cavity; 111. Preheating cavity; 111a. Sub-cavity; 112. Process cavity; 1a. Furnace opening; 2. First outer shell assembly; 21. Second insulation layer; 22. First insulation layer; 23. Shell; 3. Second outer shell assembly; 31. Separating space; 3a. Outer furnace opening; 4. First heating assembly; 41. First heating element; 411. Heating bar; 42. Electrical connection module; 5. Second heating assembly; 51. Second heating element; 6. Furnace door assembly; 7. Connector; 20. Sheet; 30. Loading and unloading mechanism; X. First direction. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a simplified schematic of a process equipment provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of a process furnace provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3 The image shown is a cross-sectional view of a process furnace provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The direction indicated by arrow X is the first direction.

[0025] This disclosure provides a process furnace, such as Figures 1 to 3 The process furnace 10 is applied to process equipment 100. The process furnace 10 includes an inner furnace tube 1 and an outer shell that are connected together. The inner furnace tube 1 has a furnace cavity 11 extending along a first direction X. The inner furnace tube 1 has a furnace opening 1a on at least one side of the first direction X that connects the furnace cavity 11 with the outside. A partition space 31 is enclosed between the inner furnace tube 1 and the outer shell.

[0026] It is understood that the process furnace 10 can be a high-temperature tubular furnace used to process the sheet 20. For example, it can be a diffusion furnace, oxidation furnace, annealing furnace, or other high-temperature process furnace. In the nested inner furnace tube 1 and outer shell, the furnace opening 1a of the inner furnace tube 1 can be referred to as the "inner furnace opening". The outer shell has an outer furnace opening 3a on the same side as where the inner furnace opening 1a is located, which connects the partition space 31 to the outside. The inner furnace opening and the outer furnace opening 3a are nested annular structures.

[0027] Optionally, the process equipment 100 can be a diffusion device, an oxidation device, a return device, etc. The process equipment 100 includes a process furnace 10 and a loading / unloading mechanism 30. The loading / unloading mechanism 30 is located on the side of the process furnace 10 facing the furnace opening 1a. The loading / unloading mechanism 30 is configured to load the sheet 20 from the furnace opening 1a into the furnace cavity 11 of the process furnace 10 or unload it from the furnace cavity 11, which will not be described in detail.

[0028] Optionally, the sheet 20 can be a solar cell, which needs to be processed through different processes to finally become a usable solar cell product. The shape of the solar cell can be, for example, rectangular, square, circular, etc., without specific limitation. Multiple sheets 20 can be carried in a boat structure, and the boat structure carrying the sheets 20 enters and exits the furnace cavity 11 from the furnace opening 1a.

[0029] Optionally, the furnace opening 1a can be located on either side of the inner furnace tube 1 in the first direction X, or both sides can be designated as furnace openings 1a, without specific limitation. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the furnace opening 1a is located on one side of the inner furnace tube 1 in the first direction X.

[0030] Optionally, the inner furnace tube 1 is a quartz furnace tube.

[0031] Specifically, the furnace cavity 11 includes a preheating cavity 111 and a process cavity 112 distributed and connected along the first direction X. The preheating cavity 111 is located near the furnace opening 1a. The outer shell includes at least one first outer shell assembly 2 and a second outer shell assembly 3. Both the first outer shell assembly 2 and the second outer shell assembly 3 are sleeved on the outside of the inner furnace tube 1. The first outer shell assembly 2 is located at a position corresponding to the preheating cavity 111, and the second outer shell assembly 3 is located at a position corresponding to the process cavity 112. The first outer shell assembly 2 is located on the side of the second outer shell assembly 3 near the furnace opening 1a in the first direction X. The first outer shell assembly 2 is provided with a first heating assembly 4, which is configured to heat the corresponding preheating cavity 111 to a preset temperature. The second outer shell assembly 3 is provided with a second heating assembly 5, which is configured to heat the process cavity 112 to a process temperature higher than the preset temperature.

[0032] It is understandable that the process temperature is the temperature required for diffusion, oxidation, and reprocessing of sheet 20, and is generally a high temperature above 500℃. The preset temperature is one or more intermediate transition temperatures that are lower than the process temperature but higher than the room temperature. The preset temperature can be a fixed temperature or multiple temperatures that vary within a certain range. Similarly, the process temperature can be a fixed temperature required by the process or multiple temperatures that vary within a certain range. It can be adaptively adjusted according to the actual process conditions without being specifically limited.

[0033] Optionally, the second outer shell assembly 3, along with the corresponding portion of the inner furnace tube 1 and the process chamber 112, serves as the main furnace tube for processing the sheet 20. The first outer shell assembly 2, along with the corresponding portion of the inner furnace tube 1 and the preheating chamber 111, serves as an auxiliary furnace tube for preheating the sheet 20 fed from the furnace opening 1a before it enters the process chamber 112 to avoid thermal shock. The shape and inner / outer diameter of the first outer shell assembly 2 can be matched with the shape and inner / outer diameter of the second outer shell assembly 3. The shape and inner / outer diameter of the first outer shell assembly 2 can be the same as, or slightly larger or smaller than, the second outer shell assembly 3, and can be adaptively adjusted according to actual needs without specific limitations.

[0034] Optionally, the first housing component 2 can be integrated with the second housing component 3, or it can be made into a detachable and connectable separate structure, which can be adapted to actual needs.

[0035] The process furnace 10 provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure, by having a first outer shell assembly 2 and a first heating assembly 4 arranged near the furnace opening 1a, and a second outer shell assembly 3 and a second heating assembly 5 arranged at the corresponding process chamber 112, ensures that the preheating chamber 111 at the furnace opening 1a is at a preset temperature and the process chamber 112 is at the process temperature. During the process of feeding the sheet 20 to be processed from the furnace opening 1a into the process chamber 112, the sheet 20 can be preheated to the preset temperature in the preheating chamber 111 by the first heating assembly 4, and then heated to the process temperature by the second heating assembly 5 after entering the process chamber 112. This combination structure allows the sheet 20 at room temperature to absorb a certain amount of heat in the preheating chamber 111 to a temperature lower than or equal to the preset temperature during the feeding process from the furnace opening 1a, and then absorb heat in the process chamber 112 to the process temperature. This avoids the problem of thermal shock caused by the sheet 20 directly absorbing heat from the high-temperature process chamber 112, thereby reducing the drastic temperature fluctuations in the area near the furnace opening 1a and ensuring the process uniformity and product quality of the sheet 20.

[0036] In addition, compared with the prior art where a heat insulation barrel is set on the outer periphery of the inner furnace tube 1 near the furnace opening 1a, this disclosure replaces the heat insulation barrel with a first outer shell assembly 2 equipped with a first heating assembly 4. This allows the first heating assembly 4 to heat the fed sheet 20 to a preset temperature first, and then heat it to the process temperature through the second heating assembly 5. The temperature of the sheet 20 can rise in a gradient, so that the heating assembly is not in a state of high load operation for a long time. This avoids the problem of reduced service life caused by continuous high power operation of the heating assembly due to drastic temperature fluctuations in the furnace cavity 11, and reduces maintenance costs.

[0037] In addition, by setting the first heating component 4, the sheet 20 can be preheated during the feeding process. When the sheet 20 is placed in the process chamber 112, the heating time of the second heating component 5 to heat the preheated sheet 20 to the process temperature can be shortened.

[0038] Understandably, the temperature of the sheet material to be processed before feeding is around 25℃, which is at room temperature. The preset temperature is one or more temperatures below 500℃ but above room temperature, such as 100℃, 200℃, 300℃, 400℃, etc., which can be adjusted adaptively according to actual needs.

[0039] In some alternative embodiments, the second heating assembly 5 includes a plurality of second heating elements 51 arranged sequentially along the first direction X on the second housing assembly 3. Each second heating element 51 is arranged around the periphery of the second housing assembly 3. The second heating elements 51 are configured to heat the corresponding area in the process cavity 112 to the process temperature. The plurality of second heating elements 51 arranged at intervals along the first direction X make the process cavity 112 form a thermal field, in which the sheet 20 is processed.

[0040] Optionally, the heating temperature of each second heating element 51 is individually adjustable. For example, the second heating assembly 5 may further include multiple second temperature sensors and a second control element, with the second control element electrically connected to the second temperature sensors and the second heating element 51. Each of the multiple second temperature sensors corresponds one-to-one with a multiple of the second heating elements 51, and the second temperature sensors are configured to detect the heating temperature of the area heated by the corresponding second heating element 51, so that each second heating element 51 can be individually adjusted to a set process temperature.

[0041] It is understood that the process temperature can be multiple temperatures that vary in a gradient along the first direction X, with the process temperature increasing sequentially or increasing first and then decreasing in the direction from the preheating chamber 111 to the process chamber 112. That is, among the multiple second heating elements 51 arranged in the direction from the preheating chamber 111 to the process chamber 112, the heating temperature of the multiple second heating elements 51 increases sequentially or increases first and then decreases. For example, among the multiple second heating elements 51 arranged sequentially in the direction from the preheating chamber 111 to the process chamber 112, the heating temperature of the multiple second heating elements 51 can be set to 500℃, 600℃, 700℃, 800℃, etc., or the heating temperature of the multiple second heating elements 51 can be set to 600℃, 700℃, 800℃, 700℃, 600℃, etc. The specific heating temperature can be adaptively adjusted according to the specific process and is not specifically limited.

[0042] Figure 4 The image shown is a cross-sectional view of a process furnace provided in another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0043] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first heating component 4 includes a first heating element 41, a first temperature detection element, and a first control element. The first heating element 41 is arranged around the periphery of the first outer shell component 2. The first temperature detection element is located at the position of the first outer shell component 2 corresponding to the furnace opening 1a. The first temperature detection element is configured to detect the temperature of the preheating chamber 111. The first control element is electrically connected to the first temperature detection element and the first heating element 41. The first control element is configured to control the heating temperature of the first heating element 41 according to the temperature detected by the first temperature detection element, so as to adjust the temperature of the preheating chamber 111 to a preset temperature.

[0044] Optionally, the first outer shell assembly 2 can be configured as multiple components connected or disconnected sequentially along the first direction X. The preheating cavity 111 includes multiple sub-cavities 11a sequentially arranged and connected along the first direction X. Each first outer shell assembly 2 corresponds to one sub-cavity 11a. The heating temperature of each first heating element 41 is individually adjusted. Along the direction from the preheating cavity 111 to the process cavity 112, the preset temperatures of the multiple sub-cavities 11a increase sequentially. Each sub-cavity 11a corresponds to a first temperature detection element and a first heating element 41. The first control element can control the heating temperature of the first heating element 41 corresponding to each sub-cavity 11a, so that the preset temperatures of the multiple sub-cavities 11a can be individually adjusted. This results in the preset temperature increasing sequentially from the furnace opening 1a to the process cavity 112, which is beneficial for the preheated sheet 20 to achieve a gradient heating and further reduce temperature fluctuations.

[0045] Optionally, the preset temperature of each sub-cavity 11a can be adaptively adjusted according to the process temperature required by the process sheet 20. For example, when the process temperature is set above 500°C, the preset temperature can be set to one or more temperatures between 200°C and 400°C.

[0046] Understandably, one or more first outer shell components 2 can be selected based on actual needs. When only one first outer shell component 2 is set, the preset temperature can be set to one of 200℃, 300℃, or 400℃. When multiple first outer shell components 2 are set, such as two, three, or four, for example, if there are three first outer shell components 2, the preset temperatures of the three sub-cavities 11a pointing from the furnace opening 1a towards the process chamber 112 can be set to 200℃, 300℃, and 400℃ respectively. These can be adaptively adjusted according to actual needs without specific limitations.

[0047] Optionally, when multiple first housing assemblies 2 are configured, the multiple first housing assemblies 2 connected means that the multiple first housing assemblies 2 can be fabricated as a single structure, and multiple first heating elements 41 are arranged at intervals along the first direction X on the single structure of the first housing assembly 2, with each first heating element 41 corresponding to a preheating cavity 111 as a sub-cavity 11a. Multiple disconnected first housing assemblies 2 means that the multiple first housing assemblies 2 can be fabricated individually, and each first housing assembly 2 can be detachably connected together through connectors 7, so that the number of first housing assemblies 2 can be increased or decreased as needed.

[0048] In some optional embodiments, the first heating component 4 further includes an electrical connection module 42, which is disposed on the outside of the first housing component 2 and electrically connects the first heating element 41 to an external power source. It is understood that the electrical connection module 42 can be configured as a quick-connect interface on the outside of the first housing component 2 to facilitate quick connection or disconnection of the first heating element 41 from the external power source; however, this will not be described in detail.

[0049] Figure 5 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of a first housing assembly provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0050] The following describes the structure of the first outer shell assembly 2 in detail, taking the process furnace 10 as an example.

[0051] like Figure 2 and Figure 5 The first outer shell assembly 2 includes a first insulation layer 22 and a shell 23. The first insulation layer 22 is sleeved on the outside of the inner furnace tube 1, and the shell 23 is disposed on the outer periphery of the first insulation layer 22. The first heating element 41 includes a plurality of connected or disconnected heating strips 411 arranged at intervals along the inner periphery of the first outer shell assembly 2. The heating strips 411 are at least partially embedded in the first insulation layer 22, or the heating strips 411 are disposed on the surface of the first insulation layer 22, so that the temperature of each part of the preheating cavity 111 is uniform, and the sheet 20 can be uniformly heated when passing through the corresponding preheating cavity 111. Furthermore, the insulation layer helps to reduce the rate of heat loss in the furnace cavity 11, and has a certain heat preservation function.

[0052] Optionally, multiple heating bars 411 can be arranged at equal intervals along the inner periphery of the first housing assembly 2 to further improve the heating uniformity of the sheet 20 passing through.

[0053] Optionally, the heating bar 411 can be configured as a resistance wire, a silicon carbide rod, or a silicon aluminum rod, without specific limitations.

[0054] Furthermore, the first outer shell assembly 2 also includes a second insulation layer 21, which is disposed between the shell 23 and the first insulation layer 22. The second insulation layer 21 covers the outer periphery of the first insulation layer 22, and the shell 23 covers the outer periphery of the second insulation layer 21. The thermal conductivity of the first insulation layer 22 is lower than that of the second insulation layer 21, thereby further improving the insulation effect on the inner furnace tube 1.

[0055] Optionally, the second insulation layer 21 is made of elastic insulation material. It can protect and cushion the inner furnace tube 1 during transportation.

[0056] Optionally, the first insulation layer 22 can be an insulation body formed by adsorption of aluminum silicate, and the second insulation layer 21 can be a fiber blanket.

[0057] Optionally, the housing 23 is made of metal.

[0058] It should be emphasized that the second housing assembly 3 can also be configured as a multi-layered structure that is the same as or similar to the first housing assembly 2. For details, please refer to the relevant description of the first housing assembly 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0059] In some alternative embodiments, the first housing assembly 2 may be configured as a split structure that is detachably connected to the second housing assembly 3, so as to facilitate the replacement of the first housing assembly 2 and subsequent maintenance.

[0060] Optionally, the process furnace 10 also includes a connector 7, which can detachably connect the first outer shell assembly 2 and the second outer shell assembly 3. The connector 7 can be configured as a flange bolt, clamp, hinge pin, or other structure for achieving a detachable connection, and is not specifically limited thereto.

[0061] It should be emphasized that when the first housing assembly 2 is configured as multiple detachably connected components, the structure of the connecting piece 7 between adjacent first housing assemblies 2 can also be configured as flange bolts, clamps, hinge pins, etc., without specific limitations.

[0062] In some embodiments, the process furnace 10 further includes a furnace door assembly 6, which is disposed in a first direction X on the side of the inner furnace tube 1 near the furnace opening 1a, and a portion of the furnace door assembly 6 contacts the outer wall of the inner furnace tube 1. The furnace door assembly 6 is configured to block or open the furnace opening 1a and to support the inner furnace tube 1. In the prior art, an insulation barrel is provided on the outer periphery of the inner furnace opening 1a at the furnace opening 1a location, and the inner furnace tube 1 is supported by contact between the insulation barrel and the outer wall of the inner furnace tube 1. In this embodiment, the insulation barrel is replaced by a first outer shell assembly 2 that is sleeved with the inner furnace tube 1, and the support for the inner furnace tube 1 is transferred to the furnace door assembly 6 to ensure the stability of the process furnace 10.

[0063] Optionally, the furnace door assembly 6 can be configured as a structure independent of the furnace tubes of the process furnace 10. The furnace door assembly 6 includes a furnace door and a sealing contact part. The furnace door can open or close the furnace opening 1a. The sealing contact part can be pre-set around the furnace opening 1a of the inner furnace tube 1 to improve the sealing performance of the furnace opening 1a when the furnace door is closed. Furthermore, the support for the inner furnace tube 1 can be provided in the sealing contact part to ensure the stability of the process furnace 10.

[0064] This disclosure also provides a process apparatus, such as... Figure 1 The process equipment 100 includes a process furnace 10 and a loading and unloading mechanism. The process furnace 10 is configured to process the sheet 20. The loading and unloading mechanism 30 is located on the side of the process furnace 10 facing the furnace opening 1a. The loading and unloading mechanism 30 is configured to load the sheet 20 from the furnace opening 1a to the furnace cavity 11 of the process furnace 10 or unload it from the furnace cavity 11.

[0065] It is understood that the process furnace 10 can be referred to the relevant descriptions of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0066] Optionally, the process equipment 100 may also include, for example, a robotic arm for handling the sheet 20, a boat structure for supporting the sheet 20, etc., which will not be described in detail here.

[0067] Optionally, the process equipment 100 can be a diffusion device, an oxidation device, a return device, etc., and can be adapted to meet the actual process requirements without being specifically limited.

[0068] In the embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the connection can be a detachable connection using bolts and nuts, screws, clips, magnetic attraction, etc. In some connections where there is no particular requirement for a detachable fit, a non-detachable connection can be achieved through welding, bonding, or other methods.

[0069] The basic principles of this disclosure have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the scope of this disclosure to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0070] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems disclosed herein are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0071] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, devices, and methods of this disclosure, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. These disassemblies and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions to this disclosure.

[0072] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be carried out within the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0073] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations therein.

Claims

1. A process furnace, characterized in that, include: An inner furnace tube has a furnace cavity extending along a first direction. The inner furnace tube has a furnace opening on at least one side of the first direction that connects the furnace cavity to the outside. The furnace cavity includes a preheating cavity and a process cavity that are connected to each other. The preheating cavity is located near the furnace opening. At least one first outer casing assembly is sleeved on the outside of the inner furnace tube, and the first outer casing assembly is disposed at a position corresponding to the preheating chamber; A first heating component is disposed on the first housing assembly, and the first heating component is configured to heat the corresponding preheating cavity to a preset temperature; The second outer shell assembly is sleeved on the outside of the inner furnace tube. The second outer shell assembly is disposed at a position corresponding to the process chamber. The first outer shell assembly is located on the side of the second outer shell assembly closer to the furnace opening in the first direction. A second heating component is disposed on the second housing component, and the second heating component is configured to heat the process chamber to a process temperature higher than the preset temperature.

2. The process furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first heating component includes: A first heating element is arranged around the periphery of the first housing assembly; A first temperature detection element is disposed at the position of the first housing assembly corresponding to the furnace opening, and the first temperature detection element is configured to detect the temperature of the preheating chamber; A first control element is electrically connected to the first temperature detection element and the first heating element. The first control element is configured to control the heating temperature of the first heating element according to the temperature detected by the first temperature detection element, so as to adjust the temperature of the preheating chamber to the preset temperature.

3. The process furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first housing assembly includes a plurality of components that are connected or disconnected sequentially along the first direction, and the preheating cavity includes a plurality of sub-cavities that are sequentially arranged and connected along the first direction, with each of the first housing assemblies corresponding to one of the sub-cavities.

4. The process furnace according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heating temperature of each of the first heating elements is adjusted individually, and the preset temperatures of the multiple sub-cavities increase sequentially along the direction from the preheating cavity to the process cavity. The first heating component further includes: An electrical connection module is disposed on the outside of the first housing assembly, and the electrical connection module is electrically connected to the first heating element and an external power source.

5. The process furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first heating element includes a plurality of connected or disconnected heating strips arranged at intervals along the inner circumferential side of the first housing assembly. The first housing assembly includes: The first insulation layer is sleeved on the outside of the inner furnace tube, and the heating strip is at least partially embedded in the first insulation layer, or the heating strip is disposed on the surface of the first insulation layer; The housing is disposed on the outer periphery of the first insulation layer.

6. The process furnace according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first housing assembly further includes: A second insulation layer is disposed between the shell and the first insulation layer, the second insulation layer covers the outer periphery of the first insulation layer, and the shell covers the outer periphery of the second insulation layer; Wherein, the thermal conductivity of the first insulation layer is less than that of the second insulation layer, and the second insulation layer is an elastic insulation material.

7. The process furnace according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Also includes: A connector that detachably connects the first housing assembly and the second housing assembly.

8. The process furnace according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The second heating component includes: Multiple second heating elements are arranged sequentially on the second housing assembly along the first direction. Each second heating element is arranged around the periphery of the second housing assembly. The second heating elements are configured to heat a corresponding area in the process cavity. The heating temperature of each second heating element is individually adjustable.

9. The process furnace according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Also includes: A furnace door assembly is disposed in the first direction on the side of the inner furnace tube near the furnace opening, and a portion of the furnace door assembly contacts the outer side wall of the inner furnace tube. The furnace door assembly is configured to block or open the furnace opening and to support the inner furnace tube.

10. A process equipment, characterized in that, include: The process furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the process furnace is configured to process sheet material; A loading and unloading mechanism is disposed on the side of the process furnace facing the furnace opening. The loading and unloading mechanism is configured to load the sheet from the furnace opening into the furnace cavity of the process furnace or unload it from the furnace cavity.

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