Ingot Raw Material Supply System with Load Cell Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing ingot growth apparatus faces challenges in uniformly supplying a fixed amount of raw material and dopant to the crucible, leading to inconsistent ingot diameter and dopant concentration, resulting in segregation and reduced ingot quality.
Innovation Solution
An ingot raw material supply system comprising a support unit, fixed amount supply unit, dopant supply unit, lifting mechanism, and load cell, which ensures precise and continuous supply of raw material and dopant to the crucible using a vibrating apparatus and quartz tube supply pipe, maintaining a vacuum state and preventing thermal stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If raw materials are supplied manually or using conventional methods, then the operation is simple, but the supply amount is not fixed and uniform, leading to inconsistent ingot diameter and dopant concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical supply operations with an automated supply apparatus that uses a load cell to measure raw material weight and a controller to automatically control the supply amount. This substitution of mechanical manual operations with an automated measurement and control system ensures fixed and uniform supply amounts while maintaining reasonable system complexity through integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the load cell continuously measures the weight of raw materials in the crucible, and the controller adjusts the supply amount based on this real-time measurement to maintain the desired fixed supply quantity. This closed-loop feedback system ensures precise control of raw material uniformity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the crucible is moved upward using a lifting mechanism to maintain silicon hot melt level, then the level can be maintained, but accurate control is difficult and fixed amount supply is not easy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional lifting mechanism approach with an automated supply apparatus that uses electronic measurement (load cell) and control systems to precisely deliver fixed amounts of raw material. This substitution provides more accurate supply control while simplifying the operation through automated dosage calculation and delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The supply apparatus performs self-measurement and self-regulation of raw material supply amounts through the load cell and controller integration, eliminating the need for complex manual operations or lifting mechanisms to achieve accurate supply control.
3Quantity of substance
If chunk polysilicon is stacked in a dome shape with dopant in the crucible, then the raw materials can be melted, but gaps are formed and the volume of silicon hot melt is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of raw materials by supplying them in a powdered form rather than chunk form. This parameter change eliminates gaps between materials, increases the effective volume of silicon hot melt, and improves melting efficiency while maintaining the dome shape arrangement for optimal heat distribution.
4Ease of operation
If a supply pipe is used to deliver raw material, then the material can be transported, but high temperature heat is introduced into the supply apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the supply apparatus from the high-temperature zone by positioning it outside the crucible heating area and using a sealed connection system. The supply pipe delivers raw materials to the crucible without allowing high temperature heat to propagate back into the supply apparatus, protecting it from thermal stress while maintaining delivery functionality.
5Productivity
If the gate valve is opened to supply raw material, then the material can be transferred, but the vacuum state may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the bulk of the raw material supply operation from the vacuum environment by pre-measuring and preparing materials in the supply apparatus outside the vacuum chamber. The gate valve is then opened for a minimized time period to transfer only the necessary amount of material, thereby maintaining vacuum integrity while ensuring efficient supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary measurement and preparation of raw materials using the load cell and controller before opening the gate valve. This preliminary action ensures that the vacuum chamber is exposed to the external environment for the minimum necessary time, maintaining vacuum reliability while achieving efficient material supply.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system enables accurate and continuous supply of raw materials, improving ingot quality and productivity by maintaining uniform diameter and length, preventing backlash, and ensuring smooth operation while maintaining airtightness and high workability.
Implementation Method 1
a load cell (33) mounted at a base of the enclosure (23)
Implementation Method 2
a vibrating apparatus (34) mounted in the enclosure (23), a vibrating chute (241) fixed to an upper part of the vibrating apparatus (34) for moving the raw material (25) discharged from the hopper (26) downward to the inclined chute (31) in a vibrating fashion
Data Source
AI summary
A raw material supply system for supplying a fixed amount of raw material necessary for ingot growth is disclosed. The system includes a support unit, an enclosure, a fixed amount supply unit, a hopper for supplying raw material to the fixed amount supply unit, a dopant supply unit for supplying a predetermined amount of dopant into the enclosure, a supply pipe for supplying a fixed amount of raw material and dopant to a crucible, a lifting mechanism for moving the supply pipe upward and downward, a moving mechanism for protruding an inclined chute to an upper part of the supply pipe, and a load cell mounted between the support unit and the enclosure for sensing the weight of the supplied raw material and inputting the sensed weight of the raw material to a controller.