Boat structure and processing apparatus

Abstract

A boat structure and a processing apparatus. The boat structure comprises boat pieces and a connecting assembly; there are a plurality of boat pieces arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction; each boat piece defines at least one accommodating area layer in the vertical direction; each accommodating area layer comprises a plurality of placing positions arranged at intervals in the length direction of a corresponding boat piece; and the connecting assembly is used for connecting the plurality of boat pieces. Among the plurality of boat pieces, the number of accommodating area layers of some of the boat pieces located in the middle is greater than that of some of the boat pieces located on two sides.

Description

Boat structure and processing equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 7, 2023, with application number 202323325990.X. The entire contents of this application are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, for example, to a boat structure and processing equipment. Background Art

[0003] The processing of semiconductor or photovoltaic materials is usually achieved by feeding sheet materials into a furnace and reacting them under certain temperature and pressure conditions and by introducing a process gas source. In the process of processing semiconductor or photovoltaic materials, some devices are usually used to load or move the materials to be processed, in processing, or after processing. In the industry, such loading or moving devices are usually called graphite boats.

[0004] The cross-section of the reactor in the related art is mostly circular, and the graphite boat loaded with sheets can usually only accommodate one layer of sheets. The space utilization rate inside the reactor is not maximized, which affects the improvement of production capacity.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application proposes a boat structure, which can arrange multiple layers of sheets along the vertical direction, which is beneficial to improving the space utilization rate of the reaction chamber of the processing equipment and improving the production capacity.

[0007] The present application also proposes a processing device that can simultaneously process multi-layer sheets arranged in a vertical direction and has a large production capacity.

[0008] The present application provides a boat structure, comprising: a boat plate, wherein a plurality of the boat plates are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction, each of the boat plates defines at least one layer of accommodating area in the vertical direction, and each layer of the accommodating area includes a plurality of placement positions arranged at intervals along the length direction of the boat plate; and a connecting component, wherein the connecting component is connected to the plurality of the boat plates; wherein: among the plurality of the boat plates, the number of layers of the accommodating area of ​​the part of the boat plates located in the middle part is greater than the number of layers of the accommodating area of ​​the part of the boat plates located on both sides.

[0009] In some embodiments, the portion of the boat located in the middle has two layers of accommodation areas, and the portions of the boat located on both sides have one layer of accommodation areas.

[0010] In some embodiments, the accommodating areas are respectively provided on two opposite side walls of each boat.

[0011] In some embodiments, each of the boat pieces is provided with boat ears at both ends along its own length direction, the boat ears of the two adjacent boat pieces are staggered, and the boat ears of the two alternate boat pieces are correspondingly provided; the connecting component includes: conductive rods, the conductive rods are provided in pairs, and each of the conductive rods is passed through a plurality of correspondingly provided boat ears; conductive blocks, there are multiple conductive blocks, each of the conductive blocks is sleeved on the conductive rod, and clamped between the two correspondingly provided boat ears, and two or more of the multiple conductive blocks are provided with electrode holes and the motor holes are provided to be connected to external electrodes.

[0012] In some specific embodiments, the conductive block is formed with a boat foot, and the boat foot is configured to cooperate with a supporting component in the furnace body.

[0013] In some specific embodiments, the connecting assembly further includes a first locking member and a first buffer member sleeved on the conductive rod, the first locking member is connected to both ends of the conductive rod, and the first buffer member is clamped between the first locking member and the boat plate.

[0014] In some embodiments, the connection assembly further includes an insulating rod, and there are multiple insulating rods, and the multiple insulating rods are inserted into the multiple boat pieces.

[0015] In some specific embodiments, the insulating rods are located at the top and bottom ends of the accommodating area along the height direction of the boat.

[0016] In some specific embodiments, the connection assembly further includes a second locking member and a second buffer member, the second locking member is connected to both ends of the insulating rod, and the second buffer member is clamped between the second locking member and the boat plate.

[0017] An embodiment of the present application further discloses a processing device, which includes a furnace body and the boat structure as described above. A reaction chamber is provided in the furnace body, a support component is provided in the reaction chamber, and the boat structure is placed on the support component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a reactor and a graphite boat in the related art;

[0019] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a boat structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG3 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the end portion of the structure shown in FIG2 ;

[0021] FIG4 is a side view of a boat structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a processing device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG6 is an enlarged view of point A in FIG3 .

[0024] Reference numerals:

[0025] In Figure 1:

[0026] 1. Graphite boat; 2. Reactor.

[0027] In Figures 2 to 5:

[0028] 100, boat piece; 110, accommodating area; 111, placement position; 120, boat ear; 200, connecting assembly; 210, conductive rod; 220, conductive block; 221, electrode hole; 222, boat foot; 230, first locking member; 240, first buffer member; 250, insulating rod; 260, second locking member; 270, second buffer member; 300, furnace body; 310, reaction chamber; 320, supporting member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features, and are used to distinguish and describe features, without distinction of order or importance. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0030] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0031] The cross-section of existing reactors is mostly circular, as shown in FIG1 . The graphite boat 1 loaded with sheets can usually only accommodate one layer of sheets. The space utilization rate inside the reactor 2 is not maximized, which affects the improvement of production capacity.

[0032] The specific structure of the boat structure according to an embodiment of the present application will be described below with reference to FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 .

[0033] One embodiment of the present application discloses a boat structure, as shown in FIG2 , wherein the boat structure includes a plurality of boat pieces 100 spaced apart in the horizontal direction, and a connecting assembly 200. Each boat piece 100 defines at least one layer of a receiving area 110 in the vertical direction, and each layer of the receiving area 110 includes a plurality of placement positions 111 spaced apart along the length of the boat piece 100. The connecting assembly 200 connects the plurality of boat pieces 100. Among the plurality of boat pieces 100, the number of layers of the receiving area 110 of some boat pieces 100 located in the middle portion is greater than the number of layers of the receiving area 110 of some boat pieces 100 located on both sides. It should be noted that the boat piece 100 in the middle portion refers to the boat piece 100 located on the inner side of the plurality of spaced apart boat pieces 100. Because each boat 100 vertically defines at least one layer of accommodating area 110, and each accommodating area 110 includes a plurality of placement positions 111 spaced apart along the length of the boat 100, the boat structure of this embodiment can accommodate more sheets than graphite boats in related art, thereby facilitating increased production capacity. Furthermore, the entire boat structure is configured such that the number of sheet layers that can be accommodated in the center is greater than the number of sheet layers that can be accommodated on the sides. This allows the boat structure to fully utilize the space within the reaction chamber 310 after placement, reducing the ineffective space within the reaction chamber 310. This not only improves the space utilization of the reaction chamber 310, facilitating increased production capacity, but also shortens the post-process pumping time, facilitating improved process efficiency.

[0034] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 and 4 , the portion of the boat 100 located in the middle has two layers of accommodation areas 110, while the portions of the boat 100 located on the sides have one layer of accommodation areas 110. The portion of the boat 100 located in the middle of the boat structure can accommodate two layers of sheet materials, while the portions of the boat 100 located on the sides can accommodate one layer of sheet materials. This means that the boat structure is formed into an inverted T-shape, which is simple and has high space utilization. In one embodiment of the present application, the boat structure can also be formed into a three-layer structure or even a multi-layer structure, which can be determined based on the dimensions of the furnace body 300 and the placement position 111.

[0035] In some embodiments, each boat 100 has two oppositely disposed sidewalls each with a receiving area 110. Both opposing sides of the boat 100 can accommodate sheet materials, further increasing production capacity. Depending on actual process requirements, the receiving area 110 may be provided on only one side of the boat 100. The distribution of the receiving areas 110 on the boat 100 can be adjusted based on the actual manufacturing process.

[0036] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , each boat piece 100 is provided with boat ears 120 at both ends along its length. The boat ears 120 of two adjacent boat pieces 100 are staggered, while the boat ears 120 of two alternate boat pieces 100 are correspondingly arranged. In actual operation, the entire boat structure needs to be connected to the positive and negative poles of the RF power supply. The boat ears 120 of two adjacent boat pieces 100 are staggered, while the boat ears 120 of two alternate boat pieces 100 are correspondingly arranged. In this way, the boat ears 120 of the entire boat structure can be divided into two groups, one of which is connected to the positive pole of the RF power supply, and the other group is connected to the negative pole of the RF power supply, ensuring that the boat structure can be stably powered during the process.

[0037] In some specific embodiments, as shown in Figure 3, the connection assembly 200 includes a conductive rod 210 and a conductive block 220. The conductive rods 210 are arranged in pairs, and each conductive rod 210 is respectively passed through a plurality of corresponding boat ears 120. There are multiple conductive blocks 220, each conductive block 220 is sleeved on the conductive rod 210 and clamped between two corresponding boat ears 120. Two of the multiple conductive blocks 220 are provided with electrode holes 221 and are connected to external electrodes. The multiple boat ears 120 are connected together through the conductive rod 210 and the conductive block 220. On the one hand, the stability of the boat structure is ensured. On the other hand, as long as one of the conductive blocks 220 is connected to the positive pole of the RF power supply, a group of boat ears 120 connected to the conductive block 220 can be connected to the positive pole of the RF power supply, which facilitates the power connection of the boat structure.

[0038] 4-5 , the conductive block 220 is formed with a boat foot 222, which cooperates with the support member 320 in the furnace body 300. The boat foot 222 can ensure that the boat structure is stably maintained in the furnace body 300, ensuring stable processing.

[0039] In one embodiment, two boat legs 222 are respectively provided at both ends of the boat structure in the horizontal direction, thereby further ensuring that the boat structure is stably maintained in the furnace body 300 and the process is stably performed.

[0040] In some specific embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the connection assembly 200 further includes a first locking member 230 and a first buffer member 240 that are sleeved on the conductive rod 210. The first locking member 230 is connected to both ends of the conductive rod 210, and the first buffer member 240 is sandwiched between the first locking member 230 and the boat 100. The first locking member 230 can prevent the conductive rod 210 from moving along its own axis, and the first buffer member 240 can prevent the boat 100 from being scratched during the locking process of the first locking member 230, thereby extending the service life of the boat 100.

[0041] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the connection assembly 200 further includes a plurality of insulating rods 250, each of which is disposed within the plurality of boats 100. The addition of the plurality of insulating rods 250 can enhance the connection stability of the plurality of boats 100, prevent the boat structure from falling apart, and thereby ensure a stable process.

[0042] In some specific embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , the insulating rods 250 are located at the top and bottom ends of the accommodating area 110 along the height direction of the boat 100 , thereby further improving the connection stability of the multiple boats 100 .

[0043] In one embodiment of the present application, the number and position of the insulating rods 250 can be determined according to the length and width dimensions of the boat piece 100. As long as the boat structure has high strength, the number and specific distribution of the insulating rods 250 are not limited.

[0044] In some specific embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the connection assembly 200 further includes a second locking member 260 and a second buffer member 270. The second locking member 260 is connected to both ends of the insulating rod 250, and the second buffer member 270 is sandwiched between the second locking member 260 and the boat 100. The second locking member 260 prevents the insulating rod 250 from moving along its own axis, and the second buffer member 270 prevents the boat 100 from being scratched during the locking process of the second locking member 260, thereby extending the service life of the boat 100.

[0045] This embodiment also discloses a processing device, as shown in FIG5 . The processing device includes a furnace body 300 and the aforementioned boat structure. The furnace body 300 defines a reaction chamber 310. A support member 320 is provided within the reaction chamber 310, and the boat structure is placed on the support member 320. Due to the aforementioned boat structure, the boat structure can accommodate multiple layers of sheet material, thereby increasing the processing device's production capacity. Furthermore, placing the boat structure in the reaction chamber 310 fully utilizes the space, reducing the ineffective space within the reaction chamber 310. This not only improves the space utilization of the reaction chamber 310, thereby increasing production capacity, but also shortens the post-process pumping time, thereby improving process efficiency.

[0046] Throughout this specification, references to "some embodiments," "other embodiments," and the like indicate that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with that embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

Claims

1. A boat structure, comprising: A boat sheet, wherein a plurality of boat sheets are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction, each of the boat sheets defines at least one layer of accommodating area in the vertical direction, and each layer of the accommodating area includes a plurality of placement positions arranged at intervals along the length direction of the boat sheet; and A connecting assembly connected to the plurality of boat pieces; Among the plurality of boat pieces, the number of layers of the accommodating areas of the boat pieces located in the middle is greater than the number of layers of the accommodating areas of the boat pieces located at both sides.

2. The boat structure according to claim 1, wherein: The portion of the boat sheet located in the middle has two layers of the accommodation area, and the portion of the boat sheet located at both sides has one layer of the accommodation area.

3. The boat structure according to claim 1, wherein: The accommodating areas are respectively arranged on two side walls disposed opposite to each other of the boat pieces.

4. The boat structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Each boat piece is provided with boat ears at both ends along its length direction, the boat ears of two adjacent boat pieces are staggered, and the boat ears of two alternate boat pieces are correspondingly arranged; The connection component comprises: Conductive rods, the conductive rods are arranged in pairs, and each of the conductive rods is inserted into a plurality of correspondingly arranged boat ears; Conductive blocks, there are multiple conductive blocks, each of which is sleeved on the conductive rod and clamped between the two corresponding boat ears, more than two of the multiple conductive blocks are provided with electrode holes and the motor holes are configured to be connected to external electrodes.

5. The boat structure according to claim 4, wherein: The conductive block is formed with a boat foot, and the boat foot is configured to cooperate with a supporting component in the furnace body.

6. The boat structure according to claim 4, wherein: The connection assembly further includes a first locking member and a first buffer member sleeved on the conductive rod, the first locking member is connected to both ends of the conductive rod, and the first buffer member is sandwiched between the first locking member and the boat sheet.

7. The boat structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The connection assembly further includes an insulating rod, wherein the insulating rod is in a plurality and the plurality of insulating rods are penetrated through the plurality of boat pieces.

8. The boat structure according to claim 7, wherein: The insulating rods are located at the top and bottom ends of the accommodating area along the height direction of the boat.

9. The boat structure according to claim 7, wherein: The connecting assembly further includes a second locking member and a second buffer member, wherein the second locking member is connected to both ends of the insulating rod, and the second buffer member is sandwiched between the second locking member and the boat piece.

10. A processing device, wherein: The processing equipment comprises a furnace body and a boat structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a reaction chamber is provided in the furnace body, a supporting component is provided in the reaction chamber, and the boat structure is placed on the supporting component.

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