JP3678472B2 - Quartz crucible transfer equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transfer apparatus used for loading a quartz material into a single crystal silicon pulling apparatus after loading a silicon material into a quartz crucible.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When a quartz crucible loaded with silicon material is set in a single crystal pulling device, the quartz crucible is covered with a lid and the inside is decompressed and adsorbed. Thus, a method of mounting on a single crystal pulling apparatus is employed.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, it is difficult to avoid the possibility of breakage due to the vacuum state in the quartz crucible being broken and the crucible falling or the crucible being in direct contact with the obstacle. In view of the above-described problems of the prior art, the present invention prevents quartz crucible damage during quartz crucible placing work on a single crystal pulling apparatus, improves workability, and allows safe work. An object of the present invention is to provide a crucible transfer device.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
For this reason, in the present invention, the quartz crucible breakage prevention jig is vacuum-sucked by a quartz crucible loaded with a silicon material inside and closed, and the vacuum chucking lid for hanging the quartz crucible is attached to and detached from the vacuum chucking lid. The first feature is that the frame body includes a frame body that can be locked and surrounds the quartz crucible, and a crucible receiving portion that is detachably provided at the bottom of the frame body. The third feature is that the surface is provided with a Teflon coating or a Teflon lining.
[0005]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is an exploded perspective view showing a quartz crucible transfer device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the quartz crucible is suspended by this device, FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of FIG. 2, and FIG. It is the schematic of a silicon single crystal pulling machine.
[0006]
First, the silicon single crystal pulling machine shown in FIG. 4 will be described.
In FIG. 4, 1 is a chamber, 2 is a quartz crucible, and 3 is a heater. A graphite crucible 4 for loading the quartz crucible 2 is supported at the center of the lower part of the chamber 1 so as to be able to rotate and move up and down by a support shaft 4a, and a heater 3 for heating the quartz crucible 2 is concentrically provided on the outer periphery thereof. It is arranged in a shape. A protective cylinder 5 is provided at the upper center of the chamber 1 when the silicon single crystal is pulled up and the rod-shaped raw material 7 is inserted / lifted, and a lifting shaft 6 is suspended through the top plate at the upper end of the cylinder. A rod-shaped raw material 7 made of polycrystalline silicon is suspended from the lower end of 6, and the rod-shaped raw material 7 can be moved up and down in the chamber 1 by the lifting operation of the lifting shaft 6.
[0007]
Next, the quartz crucible transfer device used in this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the quartz crucible transfer device A has a lid 8 (so-called vacuum chuck) that is attached to the upper end of the quartz crucible 2 by adsorbing the quartz crucible 2 with a silicon material under reduced pressure. (King lid). That is, an outwardly projecting flange 8a is formed at the edge of the lid 8, and a circumferential groove 8b in which the upper edge 2a of the quartz crucible 2 can be fitted is formed at the bottom of the flange 8a. In order to improve the adsorptivity, a packing 9 made of, for example, silicon rubber is attached inside.
Further, a wire 10 is attached to the upper surface of the lid, and a lifting machine (not shown) is connected via the wire 10 so that the lid 8 can be lifted and transported while the quartz crucible 2 is adsorbed. Has been.
[0008]
Of course, although not particularly shown, a gas supply / exhaust pipe connected to the gas supply / exhaust device is connected to the lid. The gas supply / discharge pipe is branched into a gas exhaust pipe and a gas supply pipe along the way, the gas exhaust pipe is connected to a vacuum exhaust device, and the gas supply pipe is a gas that supplies an inert gas such as high-purity argon gas. Connected to the supply device.
[0009]
In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a frame that is detachably fitted to the lid 8. The frame body 11 is formed in a substantially square shape by connecting a rectangular top plate 11a and a rectangular lower frame 11b with four columns 11c, and is formed in a size that allows the quartz crucible 2 to be enclosed. . A circular hole 12 is formed in the top plate 11a so that when the lid 8 is inserted through the circular hole 12, the outer edge of the flange 8a of the lid 8 is hooked. Thereby, the quartz crucible 2 adsorbed and held by the lid 8 is suspended while being surrounded by the frame body 11. In addition, a crucible receiving portion (bottom plate) 13 sized so that the bottom portion of the quartz crucible 2 can be locked is detachably attached to the lower frame of the frame body 11 (in this embodiment, it is slidably attached back and forth). 2) and is mounted on the lower frame 11 b in a state of being located below the quartz crucible 2 surrounded by the frame body 11 as shown in FIG. 2.
[0010]
A PVC plate 14 for preventing electrification is attached to a side surface portion of the frame body 11, and a Teflon coating or a Teflon lining process for preventing contamination is applied to the surface of the frame body.
[0011]
Next, a method for transferring the quartz crucible 2 performed using this apparatus will be specifically described. For example, first, the quartz crucible 2 is filled into the quartz crucible 2 in a local clean room or clean bench provided outside the puller room. Next, the crucible 2 is set in the frame 11 with the crucible receiving portion 13 removed, and the lid 8 is placed on the quartz crucible 2 by a pulling machine, and the upper edge 2a is fitted into the peripheral groove 8b of the lid. .
Next, the inside of the quartz crucible 2 is evacuated by an evacuating device, and the quartz crucible 2 is adsorbed and integrated with the lid 8, then pulled upward, and the flange 8 a portion of the lid 8 is formed in the circular hole 12 of the frame body 11. Fit. Since this operation creates a gap between the bottom of the quartz crucible 2 and the lower frame 11b, the crucible receiving portion (bottom plate) 13 is attached. The crucible receiving portion (bottom plate) 13 is held by the crucible receiving portion 13 even if the vacuum suction state in the lid 8 and the quartz crucible 2 is broken and separated. It will not fall and be damaged. Then, in this state, the quartz crucible 2 is transferred to the single crystal silicon pulling machine by the lifting machine and loaded into the graphite crucible 4 in the chamber 1.
At the time of loading, first, the crucible receiving part 13 of the frame 11 is once lowered to a point just before contacting the graphite crucible 4, and then the crucible receiving part 13 is removed. Then, when lowered again, only the frame 11 is locked to the frame support (not shown), the engagement with the lid 8 is released, and only the quartz crucible 2 is loaded into the graphite crucible 4. Thereafter, the inside of the quartz crucible 2 is returned to normal pressure by filling the inside of the quartz crucible 2 in a vacuum state, and the adsorbed state between the lid 8 and the quartz crucible 2 is released to separate the lid and the quartz crucible. .
When the lid 8 is raised in this state, the flange 8a is again caught in the circular hole 12 of the frame body top plate 11a, so that it can be lifted as it is and transferred to the outside of the single crystal silicon pulling apparatus.
[0012]
【The invention's effect】
Since the present invention is configured as described above, the following excellent effects are obtained.
(1). It is possible to prevent damage caused by dropping or coming into contact with obstacles just before the quartz crucible is set in the single crystal pulling apparatus.
(2). There is no work directly under the suspended object, so safety is high.
(3). The quartz crucible can be loaded into the single crystal pulling device and the frame can be removed at the same time, reducing the work time.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a quartz crucible transfer device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a quartz crucible is suspended by the apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a silicon single crystal pulling machine.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chamber 2 Quartz crucible 2a Upper edge part 3 Heater 4 Graphite crucible 4a Support shaft 5 Protection cylinder 6 Elevating shaft 7 Bar-shaped raw material 8 Cover (vacuum chucking cover)
9 Silicon polycrystal nodule 10 Wire 11 Frame 12 Circular hole 13 Crucible receiving part (bottom plate)
14 PVC board (antistatic board)

Claims (3)

A quartz crucible charged with a silicon material inside is vacuum-adsorbed and closed, and a vacuum chucking lid for suspending the quartz crucible, removably locked to the vacuum chucking lid, and surrounding the quartz crucible A quartz crucible transfer device comprising: a frame body provided; and a crucible receiving portion detachably provided on a bottom portion of the frame body. 2. The quartz crucible transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the frame is provided with an antistatic plate. The quartz crucible transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surface is subjected to Teflon coating or Teflon lining.

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