Endoluminal heater and vacuum device cavity

Abstract

The utility model provides a cavity heater and vacuum equipment cavity. Cavity heater includes substrate, a plurality of inner area heating rod and a plurality of outer area heating rod, a plurality of inner area heating rod sets up in a plurality of inner area recesses of substrate first face middle region, and is powered by the power supply module of setting in substrate both sides, a plurality of outer area heating rod sets up in a plurality of outer area recesses of substrate first face edge region, and is powered by the power supply module. The utility model can reduce the difficulty of equipment maintenance or maintenance, and reduce manufacturing cost, maintenance or maintenance cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of vacuum equipment manufacturing, and in particular to an internal heater and a vacuum equipment cavity. Background Technology

[0002] The manufacturing process of heterojunction solar cells utilizes vacuum coating equipment such as plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD) to form amorphous silicon / microcrystalline silicon layers and transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layers, respectively. With the increasing demand for cost reduction in solar cells, the unit capacity of core equipment for solar cell thin-film preparation, such as PECVD or PVD equipment, is required to continuously improve. The heater, as a core component of the coating equipment, plays a crucial role in providing a stable and uniform temperature field for cell film formation.

[0003] Current processes for manufacturing heterojunction solar cells have high temperature requirements for silicon wafers. For example, the PECVD process in a PECVD machine requires temperatures exceeding 200 degrees Celsius. The cavity heater must be able to rapidly raise the temperature of the tray and silicon wafer to the set temperature within a short time before the PECVD process can proceed. As a core component for heating the equipment, the cavity heater needs to provide continuous, stable, and balanced heating, as well as be able to be quickly maintained in case of heating failure to shorten equipment recovery time, while also controlling maintenance costs.

[0004] Currently, existing cavity heaters typically use only one heating wire or heating rod on a single substrate. In case of failure, the entire heating wire or rod must be replaced, resulting in high costs. Furthermore, to save space and increase equipment capacity, existing PECVD or PVD equipment often employs a multi-layer stacked design for their vacuum chambers. This increases the equipment height, and when the bottom cavity heater needs maintenance, the entire upper layer usually needs to be lifted and removed, resulting in a large workload, long processing time, and hindering rapid maintenance and production recovery.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide a PECVD high-temperature aluminum substrate heater to reduce the difficulty of equipment repair or maintenance, and reduce manufacturing, repair or maintenance costs, has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, this utility model proposes an intracavity heater, which includes a substrate, multiple inner heating rods, and multiple outer heating rods. The multiple inner heating rods are disposed in multiple inner grooves in the middle region of the first surface of the substrate and are powered by power supply modules disposed on both sides of the substrate. The multiple outer heating rods are disposed in multiple outer grooves in the edge region of the first surface of the substrate and are powered by the power supply modules.

[0007] In one embodiment, the cavity heater further includes a plurality of first cover plates that match the plurality of inner zone grooves, the plurality of first cover plates respectively pushing the plurality of inner zone heating rods disposed in the inner zone grooves into contact with the substrate.

[0008] In one embodiment, the cavity heater further includes a plurality of second cover plates that match the plurality of outer zone grooves, the plurality of second cover plates respectively pushing the plurality of outer zone heating rods disposed in the plurality of outer zone grooves into contact with the substrate.

[0009] In one embodiment, the power density of the plurality of outer heating rods is higher than that of the plurality of inner heating rods, and the power density of the plurality of inner heating rods decreases as they approach the center.

[0010] In one embodiment, the power supply module includes a first positive power supply line and a second positive power supply line disposed on a first side of the substrate, and a first negative power supply line and a second negative power supply line disposed on a second side of the substrate. The plurality of inner heating rods are powered through the first positive power supply line and the first negative power supply line; the plurality of outer heating rods are powered through the second positive power supply line and the second negative power supply line.

[0011] In one embodiment, the cavity heater further includes multiple thermocouples, and multiple temperature measuring grooves are formed on the substrate corresponding to the multiple thermocouples. The temperature measuring ends of the multiple thermocouples are fixed to the surface of the substrate by pipe clamps, and the temperature measuring ends of the multiple thermocouples are disposed in the multiple temperature measuring grooves and pressed by pressure blocks.

[0012] This utility model also provides a vacuum equipment cavity, which includes a cavity body and a plurality of cavity heaters stacked in the cavity body at a predetermined interval. The cavity heaters are cavity heaters as described in any of the above claims. The cavity heaters are provided with roller assemblies on a first surface of their substrate or a second surface opposite to it for rolling.

[0013] In one embodiment, a plurality of roller grooves are provided on both sides of the first or second surface of the substrate. The roller assembly is installed in the roller groove by fasteners. Each roller assembly includes a retainer and a roller disposed on the retainer. The substrate is supported and moved by the plurality of roller assemblies.

[0014] In one embodiment, the vacuum equipment cavity is provided with multiple support plates for multiple cavity heaters stacked together, and the multiple cavity heaters are respectively arranged on the multiple support plates. Each support plate has guide grooves on both sides of its edge area for rollers to roll through.

[0015] In one embodiment, a positioning groove is provided in the middle of both sides of the substrate, and a positioning locking device is provided on each support plate. The positioning locking device enters the positioning groove on both sides of the substrate after the cavity heater is in place on the support plate, thereby locking the cavity heater on the support plate.

[0016] Compared to existing technologies where a single heating wire or heating rod is installed on an intracavity heater, requiring replacement of the entire unit during maintenance, and where multiple layers of intracavity heaters are stacked, necessitating layer-by-layer hoisting for maintenance, the intracavity heater of this invention includes a substrate, multiple inner heating rods, and multiple outer heating rods. The multiple inner heating rods are disposed in multiple inner grooves in the central region of the first surface of the substrate and are powered by power supply modules disposed on both sides of the substrate; the multiple outer heating rods are disposed in multiple outer grooves in the edge region of the first surface of the substrate and are powered by the power supply modules.

[0017] This invention can reduce the difficulty of equipment repair or maintenance, and reduce manufacturing costs, repair or maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above-described features and advantages of this invention can be better understood after reading the following detailed description of the embodiments of this disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components having similar related characteristics or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the cavity heater of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a front view schematic diagram of the internal heater embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the cavity heater embodiment after being flipped over.

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A front view of the structure of the substrate 10.

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A partial three-dimensional structural diagram of the cavity heater embodiment in the lower right corner.

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partial three-dimensional structural diagram of the roller assembly 15.

[0025] Figure 7 for Figure 1A schematic diagram of the partial three-dimensional structure of a thermocouple 14 on the substrate 10. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments to provide a clearer understanding of its objectives, features, and advantages. It should be understood that the aspects described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention in any way. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a” and “described” include plural references. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components.

[0027] See Figures 1 to 4 , Figure 1 , Figure 2 These are, respectively, a three-dimensional structural diagram and a front view structural diagram of an embodiment of the cavity heater of this utility model. Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the cavity heater embodiment after flipping over. Figure 4 for Figure 1 A front view of the structure of the substrate 10.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the cavity heater embodiment 1 of this utility model includes a substrate 10, a plurality of inner heating rods 11 and a plurality of outer heating rods 12. The plurality of inner heating rods 11 are disposed in a plurality of inner grooves 100 in the middle region of the first surface S1 of the substrate 10 and are powered by power supply modules 13 disposed on both sides of the substrate 10. The plurality of outer heating rods 12 are disposed in a plurality of outer grooves 101 in the edge region of the first surface S1 of the substrate 10 and are powered by the power supply modules 13.

[0029] The substrate 10 can be a substrate made of aluminum or other materials suitable for the corresponding application environment. The power density of the plurality of outer heating rods 12 is higher than that of the plurality of inner heating rods 11, and the power density of the plurality of inner heating rods 11 decreases as they approach the center. Both the inner heating rods 11 and the outer heating rods 12 are double-ended heating tubes (i.e., both ends are connected to wires EL), and their diameters can be 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, or other commonly used diameters in the industry.

[0030] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2As shown, the plurality of inner heating rods 11 include a first inner heating rod 11A, a second inner heating rod 11B, a third inner heating rod 11C, a fourth inner heating rod 11D, a fifth inner heating rod 11E, a sixth inner heating rod 11F, a seventh inner heating rod 11G, an eighth inner heating rod 11H, a ninth inner heating rod 11I, a tenth inner heating rod 11J, an eleventh inner heating rod 11K, and a twelfth inner heating rod 11L. The power density of the plurality of inner heating rods 11 decreases as they approach the center, thereby compensating for the overall temperature inconsistency caused by the difference in heat dissipation performance between the inside and outside of the substrate 10, resulting in more uniform heating. More specifically, the heating power of the fifth inner zone heating rod 11E, the sixth inner zone heating rod 11F, the seventh inner zone heating rod 11G, and the eighth inner zone heating rod 11H can be 1800W, the heating power of the third inner zone heating rod 11C, the fourth inner zone heating rod 11D, the ninth inner zone heating rod 11I, and the tenth inner zone heating rod 11J can be 2000W, and the heating power of the first inner zone heating rod 11A, the second inner zone heating rod 11B, the eleventh inner zone heating rod 11K, and the twelfth inner zone heating rod 11L can be 2200W.

[0031] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the plurality of outer heating rods 12 include a first outer heating rod 12A, a second outer heating rod 12B, a third outer heating rod 12C, a fourth outer heating rod 12D, a fifth outer heating rod 12E, a sixth outer heating rod 12F, a seventh outer heating rod 12G, and an eighth outer heating rod 12H. The power density of the plurality of outer heating rods 12 is higher than the power density of the plurality of inner heating rods 11. More specifically, the heating powers of the first outer heating rod 12A, the second outer heating rod 12B, the third outer heating rod 12C, the fourth outer heating rod 12D, the fifth outer heating rod 12E, the sixth outer heating rod 12F, the seventh outer heating rod 12G, and the eighth outer heating rod 12H can be 2800W, 3800W, 2800W, 2800W, 2800W, 2800W, and 3800W, respectively. The plurality of outer heating rods 12 can also be configured such that the power density is higher as they are closer to the edge.

[0032] If one or more of the first inner zone heating rod 11A to the twelfth inner zone heating rod 11L malfunction, only the malfunctioning inner zone heating rod can be replaced. Similarly, if one or more of the first outer zone heating rod 12A to the eighth outer zone heating rod 12H malfunction, only the malfunctioning outer zone heating rod can be replaced, thus avoiding the waste caused by the need to replace the entire heating rod or heating wire as in the prior art.

[0033] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2As shown, the power supply module 13 includes a first positive power supply line 130, a first negative power supply line 131, a second positive power supply line 132, and a second negative power supply line 133. The first positive power supply line 130 and the second positive power supply line 132 are disposed on a first side of the substrate 10, and the first negative power supply line 131 and the second negative power supply line 133 are disposed on a second side of the substrate, with the first side and the second side opposite to each other. The plurality of inner heating rods 11 are powered through the first positive power supply line 130 and the first negative power supply line 131; the plurality of outer heating rods 12 are powered through the second positive power supply line 132 and the second negative power supply line 133. Multiple inner heating rods 11 and outer heating rods 12 are electrically connected to the first positive power supply line 130, the first negative power supply line 131, the second positive power supply line 132, and the second negative power supply line 133 respectively through the wires EL at both ends. Each wire EL has a pin at the end that can be connected to the power supply socket on the first positive power supply line 130, the first negative power supply line 131, the second positive power supply line 132, or the second negative power supply line 133.

[0034] like Figure 5 As shown, the cavity heater 1 further includes a plurality of first cover plates 17 that match the plurality of inner grooves 100, and the plurality of first cover plates 17 respectively push the plurality of inner heating rods 11 disposed in the inner grooves 100 into contact with the substrate 10. The cavity heater 1 also includes a plurality of second cover plates 18 that match the plurality of outer grooves 101, and the plurality of second cover plates 18 respectively push the plurality of outer heating rods 12 disposed in the plurality of outer grooves 101 into contact with the substrate 10.

[0035] See Figure 4 The plurality of inner grooves 100 include a first inner groove 100A, a second inner groove 100B, a third inner groove 100C, a fourth inner groove 100D, a fifth inner groove 100E, a sixth inner groove 100F, a seventh inner groove 100G, an eighth inner groove 100H, a ninth inner groove 100I, a tenth inner groove 100J, an eleventh inner groove 100K, and a twelfth inner groove 100L; a first inner heating rod 11A; and a second inner heating rod 11A. Heating rods 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F, 11G, 11H, 11I, 11J, 11K, and 11L are respectively disposed in the corresponding inner zone grooves and are in contact with the substrate 10 by the first cover plate 17 which is locked by screws or bolts, so as to achieve sufficient heat transfer.

[0036] See Figure 4The plurality of outer grooves 101 include a first outer groove 101A, a second outer groove 101B, a third outer groove 101C, a fourth outer groove 101D, a fifth outer groove 101E, a sixth outer groove 101F, a seventh outer groove 101G, and an eighth outer groove 101H. The first outer heating rod 12A, the second outer heating rod 12B, the third outer heating rod 12C, the fourth outer heating rod 12D, the fifth outer heating rod 12E, the sixth outer heating rod 12F, the seventh outer heating rod 12G, and the eighth outer heating rod 12H are respectively disposed in the corresponding outer grooves and are in contact with the substrate 10 by a second cover plate 18 locked by screws or bolts to achieve sufficient heat transfer.

[0037] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 as well as Figure 4 , and in conjunction with see Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 , Figure 5 for Figure 2 A partial three-dimensional structural diagram of the cavity heater embodiment shown in the lower right corner. Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partial three-dimensional structural diagram of roller assembly 15. (See diagram below.) Figure 1 , Figure 2 as well as Figures 4 to 6 As shown, a roller assembly 15 is provided on the first surface S1 or the opposite second surface S2 of the substrate 10 of the cavity heater 1 to facilitate rolling. Multiple roller grooves 102 are provided on both side edge regions of the first surface S1 or the second surface S2 of the substrate 10. Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 As shown, the roller assembly 15 is mounted in the roller groove 102 by fasteners 16. Each roller assembly 15 includes a retainer 150 and rollers 152 disposed on the retainer 150. The base plate 10 is supported and moved by the plurality of roller assemblies 15. In this embodiment, the roller assembly 15 is disposed on the first surface S1 of the base plate 10 of the cavity heater 1, and each roller assembly 15 includes two rollers 152 disposed on the retainer 150. The fastener 16 may be a bolt or a screw.

[0038] See Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 To meet the specific functional requirements of robotic arm transfer and pusher pusher within the vacuum equipment cavity, the substrate 10 is also uniformly provided with through square openings 105 and elongated openings 106. These openings reduce heat transfer and divide the substrate 10 into multiple independent zones. Multiple edge grooves 103 are also uniformly provided on the edge area of ​​the substrate 10 where the power supply module 13 is not located.

[0039] See Figure 2as well as Figure 4 See also Figure 7 , Figure 7 for Figure 1 A partial three-dimensional structural diagram of a thermocouple 14 on the substrate 10. (See diagram below.) Figure 2 , Figure 4 as well as Figure 7 As shown, the cavity heater 1 includes multiple thermocouples 14. Multiple temperature-sensing grooves 104 are formed on the substrate 10 corresponding to the multiple thermocouples 14. The temperature-sensing ends 140 of the thermocouples 14 are fixed to the surface of the substrate 10 by pipe clamps 144. The temperature-sensing tips 140H of the thermocouples are disposed in the multiple temperature-sensing grooves 104 and pressed by pressure blocks 142. The pressure blocks 142 are locked in the temperature-sensing grooves 104 by screws or bolts passing through their screw holes 1420. The temperature-sensing ends 140 are fixed to the surface of the substrate 10 by pipe clamps 144, which ensures that the thermocouples are arranged according to a preset route and also allows for a certain amount of movement of the thermocouples 14, preventing them from being pulled apart when the substrate 10 expands due to heating.

[0040] The plurality of thermocouples 14 may include one thermocouple arranged near the center of the substrate 10 and three thermocouples arranged at the edge of the substrate 10. The cavity heater 1 may also include a plurality of spare thermocouples 14”, which may include one spare thermocouple arranged near the center of the substrate 10 and three spare thermocouples arranged at the edge of the substrate 10.

[0041] This utility model also discloses a vacuum equipment cavity, which includes a cavity body and a plurality of cavity heaters stacked at predetermined intervals within the cavity body, wherein the cavity heaters are as follows: Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The cavity heater 1 has a roller assembly 15 provided on the first surface S1 or the opposite second surface S2 of the base plate 10 for rolling.

[0042] The vacuum equipment cavity is provided with multiple support plates for multiple cavity heaters 1 stacked on each other. The multiple cavity heaters are respectively arranged on the multiple support plates. Each support plate has guide grooves on both sides of its edge area for rollers to roll through.

[0043] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2As shown, a positioning groove 103M is provided in the middle of both sides of the substrate 10 (the two positioning grooves 103M are two of the edge grooves 103 and are used for positioning). Each support plate is provided with a positioning locking device. After the cavity heater is in place on the support plate, the positioning locking device enters the positioning groove 103M on both sides of the substrate 10, thereby locking the cavity heater on the support plate. The positioning groove 103M can be located on the central axis of the substrate 10. After the substrate 10 is fixed by the positioning locking device, the central axis of the cavity heater 1 remains stationary during the heating process. The displacement due to thermal expansion is slowly released by the roller assembly 15 on both sides, maintaining the flatness of the entire substrate. When the cavity heater 1 needs maintenance, the positioning locking device is operated to release the positioning of the central axis, and then the power supply modules 13 on both sides of the substrate 10 are removed, allowing the substrate 10 to be pulled out from the side. The roller assembly 15 makes the maintenance process easier.

[0044] The cavity heater of this invention includes a substrate, multiple inner heating rods, and multiple outer heating rods. The multiple inner heating rods are disposed in multiple inner grooves in the central region of the first surface of the substrate and are powered by power supply modules disposed on both sides of the substrate. The multiple outer heating rods are disposed in multiple outer grooves in the edge region of the first surface of the substrate and are powered by the power supply modules. This invention can reduce the difficulty of equipment repair or maintenance, and reduce manufacturing costs and repair or maintenance costs.

[0045] The above embodiments are provided for those skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or changes to the above embodiments without departing from the inventive concept of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but should be the maximum scope that conforms to the innovative features mentioned in the claims.

Claims

1. An intracavity heater comprising a substrate, characterized in that, It also includes multiple inner heating rods and multiple outer heating rods. The multiple inner heating rods are disposed in multiple inner grooves in the middle region of the first surface of the substrate and are powered by power supply modules disposed on both sides of the substrate. The multiple outer heating rods are disposed in multiple outer grooves in the edge region of the first surface of the substrate and are powered by the power supply modules.

2. The cavity heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity heater also includes a plurality of first cover plates that match the plurality of inner zone grooves, and the plurality of first cover plates respectively push the plurality of inner zone heating rods disposed in the inner zone grooves to contact the substrate.

3. The cavity heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity heater also includes a plurality of second cover plates that match the plurality of outer zone grooves, and the plurality of second cover plates respectively push the plurality of outer zone heating rods disposed in the plurality of outer zone grooves into contact with the substrate.

4. The cavity heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power density of the multiple outer heating rods is higher than that of the multiple inner heating rods, and the power density of the multiple inner heating rods decreases as they get closer to the center.

5. The cavity heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, The power supply module includes a first positive power supply line and a second positive power supply line disposed on the first side of the substrate, and a first negative power supply line and a second negative power supply line disposed on the second side of the substrate. The plurality of inner heating rods are powered through the first positive power supply line and the first negative power supply line; the plurality of outer heating rods are powered through the second positive power supply line and the second negative power supply line.

6. The cavity heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity heater also includes multiple thermocouples. Multiple temperature measuring grooves are formed on the substrate corresponding to the multiple thermocouples. The temperature measuring ends of the multiple thermocouples are fixed to the surface of the substrate by pipe clamps. The temperature measuring ends of the multiple thermocouples are set in the multiple temperature measuring grooves and pressed by pressure blocks.

7. A vacuum equipment cavity, comprising a cavity body and a plurality of cavity heaters stacked at predetermined intervals within the cavity body, characterized in that, The cavity heater is the cavity heater as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cavity heater is provided with a roller assembly on a first surface of its substrate or a second surface opposite thereto for rolling.

8. The vacuum equipment cavity according to claim 7, characterized in that, Multiple roller grooves are provided on both sides of the first or second side of the substrate. The roller assembly is installed in the roller groove by fasteners. Each roller assembly includes a retainer and a roller disposed on the retainer. The substrate is supported and moved by the multiple roller assemblies.

9. The vacuum equipment cavity according to claim 8, characterized in that, The vacuum equipment cavity is provided with multiple support plates for multiple cavity heaters stacked together. The multiple cavity heaters are respectively arranged on multiple support plates. Each support plate has guide grooves on both sides of its edge area for rollers to roll through.

10. The vacuum equipment cavity according to claim 9, characterized in that, The substrate has positioning grooves in the middle of both sides, and each support plate is provided with a positioning and locking device. After the cavity heater is in place on the support plate, the positioning and locking device enters the positioning grooves on both sides of the substrate, thereby locking the cavity heater on the support plate.

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