JPH0744169B2 - Cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus suitable for cleaning polycrystalline silicon and the like.

<Prior Art and Problems> In the production of high-purity polycrystalline silicon, silicon is grown into a rod shape, then cut into an appropriate length and washed. The cleaning of the polycrystalline silicon is usually performed in the next step.

The processed layer and oxide film on the surface are removed by etching with an etching solution containing hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid as main components, and then the etching solution is rinsed with pure water, followed by vacuum dehydration.
By the vacuum dehydration, the water remaining in the gaps of the polycrystalline silicon is removed by suction. After vacuum dehydration and vacuum drying, the product is sent to the next step.

Conventionally, such cleaning of polycrystalline silicon has been carried out by a batch method. For example, a lump of polycrystalline silicon that has been cut or crushed to an appropriate length is placed in a basket, and sequentially placed in each solution tank or etching solution. Cleaning is performed by transferring and immersing. However, in the above-mentioned conventional cleaning method, there is a problem that the silicon blocks housed in the basket come into contact with each other, resulting in etching spots at the contact portion. Further, in order to further enhance the cleaning effect, when the baskets containing the silicon lumps are sequentially transferred to a cleaning tank in which a plurality of baskets are arranged, or when the baskets are rinsed inside each cleaning tank, this is manually performed. There are also problems such as bad.

<Means for Solving the Problem> The present invention provides a basket containing silicon lumps with a predetermined etching by providing a vertically movable hanger portion and a movable transport mechanism above a plurality of cleaning tanks. Quickly and continuously transfer it to the cleaning tank where the liquid is stored, greatly improving the efficiency of cleaning work, and forming a sloping surface at the bottom of each cleaning tank and swinging the basket inside the cleaning tank. By keeping it at the above position, etching spots were prevented to enhance the cleaning effect, and the conventional problems were solved.

<Structure of Invention> According to the present invention, the following cleaning device is provided.

(1) A slider having a plurality of cleaning tanks, a moving rail disposed above the cleaning tanks along the arrangement of the cleaning tanks, and a hanger portion movably mounted on the rails and movable up and down. And a rotating hook mechanism provided on the hanger portion of the slider and a basket engaged with the hook, and an inclined surface on which the basket is placed is formed at the bottom of the cleaning tank. Cleaning device characterized by.

(2) The cleaning device according to (1) above, wherein the slider includes a vertically moving cylinder, and a lower end of a rod of the cylinder forms the hanger portion.

(3) The cleaning device according to (1) or (2), wherein the inclined surface is formed in an opposite direction for each cleaning tank.

The cleaning effect is good for cleaning the above silicon mass,
And it is necessary to have good work efficiency. According to the present invention, a plurality of cleaning tanks are arranged, and several sliders that move along the arranged cleaning tanks are installed above the cleaning tanks, and the sliders allow quick and continuous transfer of silicon blocks between the cleaning tanks. To do it. In order to move the sliders on the rails, a moving cylinder is provided, and a plurality of sliders are simultaneously moved at a predetermined interval via a rod connected to each slider. Of course, the slider moving mechanism is not limited to this. A plurality of cleaning tanks are arranged in a line according to the type of cleaning liquid (etching liquid) and the cleaning order.
Of course, they may be installed in parallel if necessary. The silicon lump is immersed in a cleaning tank and transferred while being stored in a basket. The slider has a mechanism for suspending and vertically moving the basket, and has a cylinder mechanism, for example, and a lower end of a rod of the cylinder forms a hanger portion for suspending the basket. A rotatable hook for engaging the basket is provided on the hanger portion, and the basket is hung and conveyed by the hook while the basket passes through the cleaning process. A predetermined etching solution is stored in the cleaning tank. For example, in the first first cleaning tank and the second cleaning tank next, the etching solution containing hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid as main components is stored, and the final third cleaning tank is stored. Pure water is stored in the cleaning tank. Of course, the etching solution is not limited to these and may be used. Conventionally, the basket inside the cleaning tank is manually swung to enhance the cleaning effect.However, in this cleaning device, an inclined surface is formed at the bottom of each cleaning tank so that when the basket is put into each cleaning tank, By tilting the basket and moving the hanger portion up and down, the basket is repeatedly tilted within the same cleaning tank, and the basket is automatically swung to eliminate the etching unevenness of the silicon lump inside the basket.

1 and 2 show an embodiment of the cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the cleaning device includes a cleaning tank 10, a moving rail 11, and sliders 20a to 20d slidably mounted on the moving rail 11 via guide rolls 14. The cleaning tank 10 has a required number of cleaning tanks arranged in a line according to the type of etching solution. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a first cleaning tank 10, a second cleaning tank 10a, and a third cleaning tank 10b are provided, and each cleaning tank contains hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid as main components in order, Fast etching solution (I), Etching solution with slow etching rate (II),
And pure water is stored. The moving rail is the cleaning tank
It is provided above the array of 10, 10a and 10b. A plurality of sliders 12 slidably mounted on the rails 11 are arranged at a predetermined interval so that one slider corresponds to each of the feeders connected to the cleaning tank and the upper part of the cleaning tank. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, there are provided four sliders 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d arranged from the first cleaning tank to the third cleaning tank 10b and above the supply device. Each slider 20a ... 20d is provided with a cylinder 12a whose rod tip moves up and down. The rod tip forms a hanger portion 12b for suspending the basket 13, and a rotatable hook 12c is pivotally attached to the hanger portion 12b. The hook 12c shown in FIG. 1 is formed by connecting the ends of a pair of arms 12d that are rotatably attached to a hanger part by a rod. On the other hand, a basket
An engaging portion 13a projects upward from 13 and a tip of the engaging portion 13a is bent laterally so as to engage with the rotary hook 12c. Of course, the hook 12c and the engaging portion 1 of the basket
The shape of 3a is not limited to that shown in the figure. For example, in the hook 12d and the engaging portion 13a shown in FIG. 2, the hook 12c is bent to have a hook shape, while the engaging portion 13a of the basket 13 is formed.
Has a simple rod-like shape, is attached across the upper opening of the basket, and the tip of the hook is configured to engage with the rod-like member.

Next, a cylinder 15 for moving the sliders 20a ... 20b is provided at the end of the rail 11. The cylinder 15
20d is arranged so that the rod 15a thereof can reciprocate along the rail 11, and the plurality of sliders 20a ... 20d are connected to the rod 15a at a predetermined interval.
By the reciprocal movement of the rails, the rails 11 are simultaneously moved integrally.

On the other hand, an inclined surface 16 is formed at the bottom of each cleaning tank so that when the basket 13 is put into the cleaning tank, the basket placed on the bottom is inclined. If the inclined surfaces 16 are formed in opposite directions in each cleaning tank, the basket can be sequentially tilted in the opposite direction and rocked, which is preferable in order to make uniform etching or complete cleaning.

A basket supply device 17 is continuously provided on the carry-in side of the arranged cleaning tanks 10, 10a, 10b, and a carry-out device 18 is provided on the carry-out side.
Is installed. As the carry-in device 17 and the carry-out device 18, for example, a belt conveyor can be used.

In the above device configuration, the basket 13 accommodating the silicon mass 30 is washed by the belt conveyor supply device 17 in the cleaning tank 10.
Be transported to. On the other hand, the moving cylinder 15 moves the sliders 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d to the carrying side, and the carrying side slider 20a is stopped above the basket 13 of the supply device 17. Next, the hook 12c of the slider 20a rotates downward to engage with the engaging portion 13a of the basket 13, the up-and-down moving cylinder 12a operates, and the rod moves up to lift the basket 13 above the cleaning tank. Next, the slider 20a is moved in the carrying direction by the moving cylinder 15 and stopped above the first cleaning tank 10. Then, the vertical movement cylinder 12a operates to move the basket 13 to the first cleaning tank 10
It is hung inside and immersed in the etching solution. in this case,
The basket 13 is moved up and down several times inside the cleaning tank 10 to repeat the inclination of the basket along the inclined surface 16 to prevent the etching unevenness of the silicon block 30 housed in the basket 13. After the swing of the basket 13 is completed, the hook 12c is rotated and disengaged from the engaging portion 13a of the basket 13, and the hanger portion 1
2b is pulled up above the cleaning tank, then the moving cylinder 15 operates to move the slider 20a again to the loading side,
The upper part of the supply device 17 is restored. Slider 20b at the same time
Is moved above the cleaning tank 10 from the adjacent cleaning tank 10a,
The hanger portion 12b of the slider 20b descends and the hook 12c
Rotates toward the engaging portion 13a of the basket 13 and engages. The vertical movement cylinder 12a continues to operate, and the hanger 1
Lift 3 At the same time as the above series of operations, the vertically moving cylinders 12a of the adjacent sliders 20c and 20d are actuated to operate on the supply device or the hangers of the cleaning tanks 10, 10a and 10b, respectively.
Lift up 13. Subsequently, the moving cinder 15 operates to move the sliders 20a, 20b, 20c integrally to the carry-out side, and the above-described operation is repeated to continuously wash the sliders.

Although the above-mentioned embodiment shows the example of the cleaning device for polycrystalline silicon, the cleaning device of the present invention can be used not only for cleaning silicon. Further, although the above embodiment shows the configuration in which the sliders are connected to and moved integrally with four sliders, they may be moved by another mechanism.

<Effects of the Invention> In the cleaning device of the present invention, a plurality of sliders are continuously moved, and baskets are sequentially transferred to the cleaning tanks for cleaning, so that the cleaning work is more efficient than the conventional manual cleaning work. Remarkably good. Further, since the basket is mechanically swung inside each cleaning tank, the cleaning effect is excellent and etching spots are not generated. Further, since the moving cylinder of the slider is automatically operated, continuous automatic cleaning can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 relate to a cleaning apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment thereof, and FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing another example of a rotary hook and a basket. In the drawing, 10 …… washing tank, 11 …… moving rail, 12 …… slider, 12a …… vertical cylinder, 12b …… hanger part, 12c …… rotating hook, 13 …… basket, 13a …… engagement Part, 15 …… moving cylinder, 16 …… sloping surface, 17 ……
Feeding device, 18 ... unloading device.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of cleaning tanks, a moving rail disposed above the cleaning tanks along the arrangement of the cleaning tanks, and a hanger portion movably mounted on the rails and movable up and down. The slider has a slider, a rotary hook mechanism provided on a hanger portion of the slider, and a basket engaged with the hook. An inclined surface on which the basket is placed is formed at the bottom of the cleaning tank. A cleaning device characterized in that 2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slider comprises a vertically movable cylinder, and the lower end of the rod of the cylinder forms the hanger portion. 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inclined surface is formed in an opposite direction for each cleaning tank.