JP2002249310A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing crystal sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a crystal sheet improving a productivity of the crystal sheet having a uniform sheet thickness and a uniform surface coarseness and at the same time having a small heat loss within the main body of the apparatus. SOLUTION: It is able to suppress heating power by preventing a heat loss and reducing the change of the temperature within the main body of the apparatus by arranging rotating bodies 2, each having a plurality of base members 8 disposed around the outer periphery of it, within a plurality of compartments 19-20 thermally insulated with insulating members 13, 14. It is also able to extremely improve productivity by eliminating factors of lowering efficiencies by performing the operations in the plurality of the compartments independently and in parallel and by separating the peeling operation, which has been the most disturbing matter of the productivity, from the main body of the apparatus. It is also able to manufacture a high quality crystal sheet by performing the sheet producing operation without influence of a shock accompanied with the peeling operation and without an irregularity of the melt surface.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a crystal sheet from a melt of a metal or a semiconductor. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a crystal sheet Si (silicon) substrate for a low-cost solar cell.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a typical technique for manufacturing a polycrystalline silicon (hereinafter, simply referred to as Si) substrate used in a solar cell, a crucible placed in a space filled with an inert atmosphere is used. There is a method in which a high-purity Si material to which a dopant such as phosphorus or boron is added is heated and melted, the melt is poured into a mold and cooled, and a Si wafer used for a solar cell is obtained through a slicing process.

In the conventional method, a slicing step is required in addition to the Si casting step, and a material loss more than the thickness of the wire and the inner peripheral blade occurs in the slicing step. Had been an obstacle.

Alternatively, as another technique, a slicing step is omitted, and as a method of directly producing a Si crystal sheet from molten Si, a substrate is immersed in a Si melt for a certain period of time.
There is a Si crystal sheet manufacturing method for attaching and growing Si on a substrate surface. Specifically, the present applicant has proposed a method in which a substrate for solidifying and growing Si is arranged on the outer peripheral portion of a rotary cooling body, and a crystal sheet formed on the surface of the substrate is peeled off.

[0005]

The Si crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus proposed by the present applicant has a rotating body in which a plurality of substrates are arranged on an outer peripheral portion, and a Si body is provided below the rotating body.
A crucible for storing the melt is arranged. By rotating the rotating body, each substrate is sequentially immersed in the melt, and a crystal sheet can be continuously formed on each substrate surface. Further, a separating means for separating and collecting the crystal sheet from each substrate is provided above the rotating body. Thus, by rotating the rotating body, the generation of the crystal sheet on the base and the separation of the crystal sheet from the base can be continuously performed in parallel in the same chamber.

In this apparatus, the crystal sheet is separated from the substrate by applying an impact force to the sheet edge. As a result, the impact at the time of peeling off the sheet causes fluctuation of the melt in the crucible and fluctuation of the immersed substrate, resulting in unevenness in the thickness of the crystal sheet and a rough surface of the crystal sheet.

Further, since the peeling operation is performed in the same room as the crucible, there is a problem that the peeling means is deteriorated due to heat and a peeling error occurs due to wraparound in the growth of the crystal sheet. Also, as the size of the crystal sheet to be produced increases, the size of the crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus increases, and a high-power heating means for heating the melt in the crucible becomes necessary, and the temperature change in the apparatus increases. there were.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus and a crystal sheet manufacturing method in which the thickness and surface roughness of a crystal sheet are made uniform and peeling errors are reduced.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus in which a high-power heating means for heating the inside of the apparatus is small, the temperature change in the apparatus is small, and the heat loss is small.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus for storing a melt of a metal or semiconductor material in a crucible, immersing a substrate in the crucible, and solidifying and growing the metal or semiconductor material on the surface of the substrate. A plurality of rotators in which a plurality of substrates are arranged on an outer peripheral portion; a sheet generator configured to rotate the rotators to solidify and grow a crystal sheet on each substrate surface; and a position different from the sheet generator. And a separation unit for separating a crystal sheet formed on each substrate from the rotating body after the sheet generation is completed.

According to the present invention, since the sheet generating section and the peeling section are arranged at different positions, it is possible to prevent an impact accompanying the sheet peeling from being transmitted to the sheet generating section. Therefore, the fluctuation of the melt in the crucible of the sheet generation unit is reduced, and the unevenness during the production of the crystal sheet is eliminated.
Surface roughness can be made smoother. Thereby, the quality of the crystal sheet can be improved. Further, it is possible to prevent the heat generated from the sheet generation unit from being transmitted to the separation unit. As a result, deterioration of the peeling means of the peeled portion due to heat can be suppressed, and peeling mistakes in the growth of the crystal sheet can be prevented.

In addition, a crystal sheet can be manufactured on a plurality of substrates in a short time by using a rotator on which a plurality of substrates are arranged and rotating the rotator once so that the substrates are sequentially immersed in a sheet generating unit. Can be. In addition, by moving the rotator after sheet generation, a plurality of substrates can be easily and quickly conveyed to the peeling unit. In addition, the rotating body moved to the peeling portion has a shorter length than the case where one substrate is transported to the peeling portion and the peeling operation is performed by performing the crystal sheet peeling operation in a state where the substrate is arranged on the outer peripheral portion. The peeling operation can be performed in time.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the sheet generating section and a heat insulating small chamber which covers the sheet generating section are provided in an apparatus main body having a plurality of rotating bodies.

According to the present invention, the heat-insulating small chamber is provided in the apparatus main body, and the sheet generating section is covered by the heat-insulating small chamber. Therefore, the amount of radiation and radiation radiated from the sheet generating section to the outside of the heat-insulating small chamber is reduced. be able to. Therefore, fluctuations in the temperature of the melt can be prevented, and the temperature of the melt can be kept more stable. Further, the output of the heating means for heating the melt can be reduced, and the temperature control of the melt by the heating means can be facilitated.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the apparatus main body, a take-out section for taking out the rotating body after the sheet is generated and a small heat insulating chamber covering the take-out section are provided.

According to the present invention, the heat insulating small chamber is provided in the apparatus main body, and the take-out portion is covered by the heat insulating small chamber. This can prevent the crystal sheet from being rapidly cooled when the rotating body after the sheet generation step is taken out of the apparatus main body. Further, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the temperature of the entire apparatus main body caused by invasion of outside air from outside the apparatus.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the apparatus main body, an intake section for taking in a rotary body before sheet generation from the outside and a heat insulating small chamber covering the intake section are provided.

According to the present invention, the heat insulating small chamber is provided in the apparatus main body, and the intake portion is covered by the heat insulating small chamber. Thereby, when the rotating body is taken in from the outside of the apparatus main body, the influence of heat radiation from the sheet generating unit can be reduced. Further, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the temperature inside the apparatus main body caused by the invasion of the outside air.

Further, according to the present invention, in the apparatus main body,
It is characterized in that a preheating unit for warming the rotating body before sheet generation and a heat insulating small chamber for covering the preheating unit are provided.

According to the present invention, a small heat-insulating chamber is provided in the apparatus main body, and the preliminary heating section is covered by the small heat-insulating chamber. This makes it possible to effectively heat the rotating body and the heat insulating small chamber arranged in the preliminary heating unit, and to suppress the output of the heating unit of the sheet generation unit.

According to the invention, there is further provided a control means for performing operations performed in the apparatus main body independently and in parallel.

According to the present invention, each operation performed in the apparatus main body can be performed independently and in parallel by the control means. Therefore, a plurality of rotating bodies can simultaneously perform different operations, and wasteful time in generating a crystal sheet can be eliminated. Thereby, the number of crystal sheets produced per unit time can be increased.

According to the invention, there is provided a peeling means for peeling each of the bases sequentially while rotating the rotating body taken out of the apparatus main body.

According to the present invention, the rotating body is rotated to separate the crystal sheet. Thus, the crystal sheet can be easily and quickly separated from the plurality of substrates by the rotation operation, as compared with the case where one substrate is transported to the separating unit and separated.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a crystal sheet wherein a melt of a metal or semiconductor material is stored in a crucible, a substrate is immersed in the crucible, and the metal or semiconductor material is solidified and grown on the surface of the substrate. A sheet generating step of rotating a rotating body in which a plurality of substrates are arranged on an outer peripheral portion by a sheet generating unit, sequentially immersing each substrate in a crucible, and generating a crystal sheet on the surface of each substrate; A sheet peeling step of moving the sheet to a peeling section at a different position from the sheet generating section and peeling a crystal sheet formed on the substrate, wherein the sheet generating step and the sheet peeling step are performed independently. Is a method for producing a crystal sheet.

According to the present invention, after the sheet generating step is performed by the sheet generating section, the rotating member is moved, and the sheet separating step is performed by a separating section different from the sheet generating section.
This eliminates restrictions on the heat resistance, shape, and the like of the sheet peeling means, makes it possible to easily and reliably perform the sheet peeling step, and also prevents the impact accompanying the sheet peeling from being transmitted to the sheet generation unit.

Further, since the rotating body has a plurality of bases arranged on the outer peripheral portion, sheet generation and peeling can be continuously performed on the plurality of bases arranged on one rotating body, thereby improving productivity. Can be improved. Furthermore, since the sheet generation step and the sheet separation step are performed independently, the sheet generation step can be performed regardless of the sheet separation step, and the productivity of the crystal sheet can be further improved.

[0028]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Example 1 FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 as viewed from a section line S2-S2. The crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 melts a sheet-forming material such as a metal or a semiconductor material in a crucible, immerses a substantially rectangular plate-shaped substrate in the melt, and solidifies and grows the sheet-forming material on the surface of the substrate. Generate a sheet. The crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a rotating body 2 in which a plurality of substrates are arranged on an outer peripheral portion, an apparatus main body 3 including a plurality of rotating bodies 2, a supply unit 6a, a mounting unit 4, a transfer unit 5, a transport unit 6b, and a peeling unit. It is configured to include means.

The apparatus main body 3 has a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 14 surrounding the four rotating bodies 2B to 2E. The apparatus main body 3 includes an intake unit 11 for externally taking in the rotator 2A before sheet generation, a preheating unit 12 for preheating the rotator 2C before sheet generation, and a sheet generation unit 9 for generating a crystal sheet.
In addition, the rotating body 2 </ b> E after the sheet generation has four operating parts of the take-out unit 10 that is taken out of the apparatus main body, and these four operating parts 9 to 12 are provided in the outer peripheral wall 14. These operating parts 9 to 12 are arranged at regular intervals around the central axis L1 which is the axis of the outer peripheral wall 14, that is, at fixed positions with respect to the outer peripheral wall 14 at 90 ° intervals.

The apparatus main body 3 has a rotary heat insulating wall 13. The rotary heat-insulating wall 13 has a cylindrical wall 13b centered on the central axis L1, and four partition walls 13a1 to 13a4 extending in four directions from the cylindrical wall 13b and partitioning the operating parts 9 to 12. The inside of the outer peripheral wall 14 is divided into four small heat insulating chambers 19 to 22 by the partition walls 13a1 to 13a4. The rotary heat insulating wall 13 and the outer peripheral wall 14 have heat insulating properties and are made of porous ceramic.

In FIG. 1, the partition wall 13a1 and the partition wall 1
3a2, the first heat-insulating chamber 21 is provided with the partition wall 13a.
2 and the partition wall 13a3, the second heat insulating small chamber 22
A third heat insulating small chamber 19 is formed between the partition wall 13a3 and the partition wall 13a4, and a fourth heat insulating small chamber 20 is formed between the partition wall 13a4 and the partition wall 13a1.

Each of the heat insulating small chambers 19 to 22 is formed so as to cover the corresponding one of the rotating bodies 2B to 2E. The rotary heat-insulating wall 13 rotates integrally with the rotating bodies 2B to 2E about the central axis L1, and similarly, the heat-insulating small chambers 19 to 22 rotate about the central axis L1. Each of the moving parts 9 to 12 is fixed, and the rotary heat insulating wall 13 rotates, and each of the rotating bodies 2B to 2E
Are disposed in each of the operating parts 9 to 12, the heat-insulating small chambers 19 to 22 cover the corresponding operating parts 9 to 12, respectively.

Each of the rotating bodies 2B to 2 arranged in the main unit
In E, the operation for sheet generation is performed independently and in parallel in each of the operation parts 9 to 12. As a first step, the rotary shaft 15 of the apparatus main body arranged in the intake section 11
Then, the rotating body 2B is mounted from outside the apparatus main body. At this time, the rotator 2C arranged in the preheating unit 12 is preheated, and the rotator 2D arranged in the sheet generator 9 generates a sheet. Further, the rotating body 2E disposed in the take-out section 10 is pulled out from the rotating shaft 15 and taken out of the apparatus main body.

Next, the rotary heat insulating wall 13 is angularly displaced by 90 degrees around the central axis L1 integrally with the rotating bodies 2B to 2E in each of the small heat insulating chambers. Therefore, the rotator 2B attached to the rotating shaft 15 by the intake unit 11 in the first step moves to the preheating unit 12, and the rotator 2C arranged in the preheating unit 12 in the first step is replaced by the sheet generation unit. 9, the rotator 2D arranged in the sheet generation unit 9 in the first step moves to the take-out unit 10, and the rotating shaft 15 of the take-out unit 10 from which the rotator 2E is removed in the first step is It moves to the intake section 11 without holding the rotating body 2.

As the second step, each of the following operating parts 9-1:
The following operation is performed on the rotating body 2 disposed on the rotating body 2. The rotating body 2B arranged in the preheating unit 12 is preheated. At this time, a sheet is generated on the rotator 2C arranged in the sheet generator 9 and the rotator 2D arranged in the take-out unit 10 is removed from the rotating shaft 15 and taken out of the apparatus main body. Further, the rotating body 2 </ b> E is removed in the first step, and the rotating body 15 that does not hold the rotating body 2 is newly attached to the rotating body 2 </ b> A from outside the apparatus main body by the intake unit 11.

Next, the rotary heat-insulating wall 13 is displaced by 90 degrees about the central axis L1 integrally with each rotating body 2 in each heat-insulating small chamber. Therefore, the rotator 2B arranged in the preheating unit 12 in the second step moves to the sheet generation unit 9, and the rotator 2C arranged in the sheet generation unit 9 in the second step moves to the take-out unit 10. Then, the rotating shaft 15 of the take-out unit 10 from which the rotating body 2D has been removed in the second step moves to the intake unit 11 without holding the rotating body 2, and the rotating body 2A mounted in the second step is , To the preheating unit 12.

As a third step, the following operation is performed on each of the rotating bodies 2 arranged in the next operation part. Sheet generation is performed on the rotating body 2B arranged in the sheet generation unit 9,
At this time, the rotating body 2 </ b> C disposed in the take-out unit 10 is removed from the rotating shaft 15. In addition, the rotating body 15 that does not hold the rotating body 2 is newly attached to the rotating body 2 from outside the mounting body by the intake unit 11. Further, the rotating body 2A arranged in the preheating unit 12 is preheated.

Next, the rotary heat insulating wall 13 is displaced by 90 degrees around the central axis L1 integrally with the rotating body 2 in each heat insulating small chamber.
Therefore, the rotator 2B arranged in the sheet generation unit 10 in the third step moves to the take-out unit 10, and the other rotators 2 are similarly moved from the operation part performed in the third step to the central axis L.
It moves to an operating part which is arranged at a position shifted by 90 degrees around one.

As a fourth step, the rotating body 2B disposed in the sheet generating section 10 is removed from the rotating shaft 15. At this time, each operation of the other rotating body 2 is performed in each of the moved operation parts. Next, the rotary heat insulating wall 13 is angularly displaced by 90 degrees around the central axis L1 integrally with the rotating body 2 in each heat insulating small room.
That is, it is displaced by 360 degrees from the position where the first step is performed. Next, the first step is repeated again.

As described above, each rotating body 2 is angularly displaced by 90 degrees and goes through four steps, whereby the taking-in operation, the preheating operation, the sheet generating operation, and the taking-out operation are sequentially performed to obtain the crystal sheet. Is generated. In addition, four operations are performed in parallel on the four rotating bodies 2 in one step. In other words, each rotating body 2 operates independently and in parallel, and can continuously generate a crystal sheet.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line S3-S3 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the base 8. As shown in FIG.
The rotating body 2 is formed in a substantially short columnar shape, and a plurality of bases 8 are arranged at equal intervals over the entire outer periphery. Rotating body 2
A center hole 47 is formed at the center of rotation. This center hole 4
7, the rotation shaft 15 of the apparatus main body 3 is detachably fitted. Each base 8 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape, and one surface is provided with a sheet generation surface 8a. Each base 8 has a sheet generation surface 8a
Are arranged on the rotating body 2 so as to face outward. By immersing the sheet generating surface 8a in the melt 37, the crystal sheet solidifies and grows on the sheet generating surface 8a. Therefore, when the rotating body 2 rotates about the rotating body axis L2, the plurality of bases 8 arranged on the outer periphery are sequentially immersed in the melt 37,
Crystal sheets can be easily formed on a plurality of substrates 8.

The rotating body 2 mounted on the rotating shaft 15 is rotated about the rotating body axis L2, that is, about the center of rotation. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the rotating shaft 15 is arranged to extend outward in the radial direction of the outer peripheral wall perpendicular to the central axis L1.
The four rotating shafts 15 are arranged at equal intervals around the central axis L1, that is, at 90 ° intervals, and are slidably held through the cylindrical wall 13b. The rotating shaft 15 is connected to the clutch 16 within the cylindrical wall 13b, and the rotating shaft bevel gear 17 is further connected to the rotating shaft 15 via the clutch 16. Each configuration of the clutch 16 including the rotating shaft 15 and the rotating shaft bevel gear 17 is also configured in four directions at 90-degree intervals around the central axis L1. The drive bevel gear 18 connected to the rotating body drive motor 23 is disposed coaxially with the center axis L1. When the drive bevel gear 18 and the rotating shaft bevel gear 17 mesh with each other, the driving force from the rotating body drive motor 23 is transmitted, and the rotating body 2 can be rotated around the rotating body axis L2.

More specifically, the sheet generator 9 rotates the rotating body 2D.
Is rotated about the rotating body axis L2, the rotating body driving motor 23 is rotated, and the clutch 16 connected to the rotating body 2D in the first heat insulating small chamber 19 is operated, whereby the rotating body driving motor 23 is rotated. Is transmitted through the drive bevel gear 18, the rotating shaft bevel gear 17, the clutch 16 and the rotating shaft 15, and the rotating body 2D in the first heat-insulating small chamber 19 can be rotated. Similarly, when rotating the rotating body 2C in the preheating unit 12, the rotating body drive motor 23 is rotated, and the clutch 16 connected to the rotating body 2C in the fourth heat insulating small chamber 22 is operated. In this way, by independently controlling the clutch 16 connected to each of the rotating bodies 2B to 2E, each operating part can be individually controlled.

The apparatus main body 3 includes the rotary heat insulating wall 13, the rotary shaft 15, and the rotary body drive motor 23, and the rotary bodies 2B to 2B.
Rotating means 2 for rotating about central axis L1 integrally with E
5 is provided. More specifically, the rotating means 25
Are the central rotating shaft 28, the central rotating lower substrate 26, the bearing base 2
9, bearing 30, gears 31, 32, main motor 3
3. The central rotation shaft 28 is connected to the cylindrical wall 13.
b and extends downward. The central rotation shaft 28 is rotatably supported by a bearing 30 provided on a bearing base 29. A gear 31 is fixed to a lower end of the central rotation shaft 28. The main motor 33 is provided outside the apparatus main body, and the gear 32 is fixed. A gear 31 fixed to the central rotating shaft 28 and a gear 32 fixed to the main motor 33
With the engagement, the driving force from the main motor 33 can be transmitted to the central rotary shaft 28. As a result, the central rotating body 27 rotates about the central axis L1,
The rotator 2 mounted integrally with the central rotator 27 passes through the pre-heating unit 12 and the sheet generation unit 8 from the intake unit 11 and is conveyed to the take-out unit 10.

In the present apparatus, the rotating body driving motor 23 is
Since it is arranged outside the apparatus main body, it is thermally protected inside the apparatus main body. Further, the bearing base 29, the bearing 30, and the central rotating shaft 28 are covered with the lower heat-insulating case 34 and the protection lid 35 thereof, and are thermally protected. Similarly, the rotating body drive motor 23 is covered by the cylindrical wall 13b, the heat insulating substrate 36, and the outer peripheral wall 14, and is thermally protected.

Next, each operation part will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. In the intake section 11,
The rotating means 2A is taken in by the mounting means 4.
Specifically, the mounting means 4 has a telescopic arm 39, and the arm 39 is provided so as to be angularly displaceable from the supply means 6 a to the intake section 11. When the rotating shaft 15 that does not hold the rotating body 2 is disposed in the intake section 11, the mounting means 4 opens the supply-side slide door 46a and supplies the supply means 6a.
, The rotating body 2A is taken out of the supply means 6a and gripped. The mounting unit 4 angularly displaces the inside of the apparatus outer wall 45 a toward the intake unit 11 while holding the rotating body, and mounts the rotary body on the rotating shaft 15 of the intake unit 11. When the mounting is completed, the supply side slide door 46a
Is closed. Next, the rotating body 2B attached to the rotating shaft 15 by the intake unit 11 is moved together with the rotating heat insulating wall 13 into the central axis L.
It is displaced by 90 degrees around 1 and disposed in the preheating unit 12. This angular displacement movement is performed in synchronization with the above-described first step.

The apparatus outer wall 45a is provided adjacent to the apparatus main body 3 and is formed so as to surround the mounting means 4. The device outer wall 45a is made of a heat insulating material such as porous ceramic, and the inside of the device outer wall is adjusted to the same atmosphere as the inside of the device main body. When the intake operation is being performed, the intake section 11 is covered with the heat insulating small chamber 21. With this, when the rotating body 2A is taken in from the outside of the apparatus main body,
The effect of heat radiation from the sheet generation unit 9 can be reduced. Further, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the temperature inside the apparatus main body caused by the invasion of the outside air. Further, in the present embodiment, since the intake unit 11 is arranged at a position farthest from the sheet generation unit 9, the influence of a temperature rise due to heat conduction from the sheet generation unit can be reduced.

In the preheating section 12, the base 8 of the rotating body 2C
Is preheated. A preheating means 24 is provided below the rotator 2C disposed in the preheating unit 12, and the rotator 2C is rotated around the rotator axis L2 so that the plurality of bases 8 provided on the outer peripheral portion are evenly distributed. Preheated. The preheating temperature varies depending on the material of the sheet forming material to be used, the thickness of the crystal sheet to be produced, and the like, but the present apparatus can perform heating in the range of 400 ° C. or more and 1200 ° C. or less. In the apparatus main body 3, since the space to be heated at the time of heating is covered with the heat insulating small chamber 22, heat loss due to heating can be minimized.

The rotating body 2C that has completed the preheating is displaced by 90 degrees with the rotating heat insulating wall 13 and the sheet generating unit 9 is rotated.
Placed in Rotating body 2D arranged in sheet generation unit 9
Generates a crystal sheet on the sheet generation surface 8a. A crucible 41 is provided below the rotating body 2D arranged in the sheet generation unit 9, and the crucible 41 is provided on a crucible table 40 whose positioning in the vertical direction can be controlled. At the outer periphery of the crucible 41, an induction heating means 42 for dissolving a sheet forming material, for example, silicon in the crucible is provided. Until the rotating body 2D is placed on the crucible 41 by the rotating means 25, the crucible 4
1 is below the rotating body 2D. Rotating body 2D is crucible 41
When placed on top, the crucible motor 43 is driven and the crucible table 4
0 is increased, and the substrate 8 arranged on the outer periphery of the rotating body 2D is immersed in the melt until the immersion depth reaches a sufficient immersion depth for forming a crystal sheet.

After the immersion, the rotator driving motor 23 is driven to rotate the rotator 2D about the rotator axis L2 once to form a silicon crystal sheet on the sheet generating surface 8a of each substrate 8. When the sheet generation is completed, the crucible 41
Is moved downward by driving the crucible motor 43. Next, the rotating body 2D on which the crystal sheet is formed is
As a result, it is rotated and moved integrally with the heat-insulating small chamber 19 and transported to the take-out unit 10. At the time of sheet generation, the sheet generation unit 9 is covered by the small heat insulating chamber 19, and the radiant heat radiated from the sheet generation unit to the outside of the small heat chamber can be reduced. Therefore, the temperature of the melt 37 can be prevented from lowering, and the temperature of the melt 37 can be kept more stable.

The take-out section 10 takes out the rotating body 2E. The sheet generation surface 8 of the base 8 is
Although it is possible to separate and collect the crystal sheets generated in a, one by one, in the present embodiment, the separation and separation are performed at a separating part arranged at a position different from the apparatus main body 3.

More specifically, the transfer means 5 has a telescopic arm 38, and the arm 38 is provided so as to be angularly displaceable from the take-out part 10 to the transport means 6b. When the rotator 2E is placed in the take-out unit 10, the transfer unit 5 moves to the take-out unit 1.
The arm 38 is extended toward 0, and the rotating body 2E is withdrawn from the rotating shaft 15 and gripped. The transfer unit 5 is angularly displaced toward the transfer unit 6b in a gripped state, opens the transfer-side slide door 46b, passes the rotating body, and transfers the transfer unit 6b to the transfer unit 6b outside the apparatus outer wall 45b. When the transfer is completed, the transfer side slide door 46b is closed.

The apparatus outer wall 45b is provided adjacent to the apparatus main body 3 and is formed so as to surround the transfer means 5. The rotating shaft 10b from which the rotating body 2E has been removed by the take-out unit 10 moves to the take-in unit 11. The device outer wall 45b is made of a heat insulating material such as porous ceramic, and the inside of the device outer wall is adjusted to the same atmosphere as the inside of the device body.

At the time of taking out, since the take-out unit 10 is covered with the heat insulating small chamber 20, the rotating body is attached to the take-out unit 11 with residual heat due to radiant heat in the sheet generation unit 9.
Placed in This can prevent the crystal sheet from being rapidly cooled when the rotating body 2E having completed the sheet generation step is taken out of the apparatus main body. Further, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the temperature of the entire apparatus main body caused by invasion of outside air from outside the apparatus. Further, since the inside of the apparatus outer wall is adjusted to the same atmosphere as the inside of the apparatus main body, heat loss in the apparatus main body can be further reduced.

The rotating body 2F taken out of the outer wall of the apparatus is conveyed to the peeling section by the conveying means 6b. Conveying means 6b
The rotating body 2F is held through the center hole 47, and the crystal sheet is separated and collected by a separate separating unit. In the present embodiment, the rotating body is transferred to the separation section, and the rotating body axis L2
The sheet peeling process is performed while rotating around, and the crystal sheet can be easily and quickly peeled from the plurality of substrates 8 by the rotating operation. The peeling means includes, for example, a method in which an impact is applied to an edge of the sheet to peel the sheet, or a method in which the sheet is sucked by a vacuum pad or the like to peel the sheet. This peeling operation can be performed in an extremely stable state, unlike the case where the peeling operation is performed in a state where the main body device is restricted and there is a high temperature residual heat in the previous process.

The peeling section is provided at least in the sheet generating section 9.
In addition, it is provided at a position where there is no influence of heat from the apparatus main body 3 and an impact accompanying the sheet peeling is not transmitted to the sheet generating unit. This prevents the impact at the time of peeling from being transmitted to the sheet generating section, so that the melt 37 stored in the crucible can be prevented from being disturbed, and a crystal sheet having a uniform thickness and surface roughness can be manufactured. Further, since the peeling section is not affected by heat from the sheet manufacturing section, restrictions on heat resistance and shape are eliminated, and the sheet peeling step can be performed easily and reliably.

The work of the four operating parts of the intake section 11, the preheating section 12, the sheet generation section 9 and the take-out section 10 is performed by a control means (not shown) including a rotating motor 23, a clutch 16 connected to each rotating body, By controlling the motor, the crucible motor 43 and the like, independent and parallel operations can be performed. Therefore, four operations can be simultaneously performed individually by the control means, and further, the work can be performed continuously, so that extremely high productivity can be obtained.

Further, by using the rotating body 2 in which the plurality of bases 8 are arranged on the outer peripheral portion, the number of crystal sheets that can be peeled per unit time can be increased, and the productivity can be improved. Further, since the rotating body is used, even if the crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus itself becomes large, each of the heat insulating small chambers 1 is installed in the apparatus body.
Since 9 to 22 are provided, it is possible to reduce the temperature change in the apparatus main body, suppress the heating output, and reduce the production cost.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 is similar to the crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 of the above-described embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. Crystal sheet manufacturing device 100
Has an apparatus main body 101 provided with two rotating bodies. The apparatus main body 101 is provided with an outer peripheral wall 102 and a rotary heat insulating wall 103. The outer peripheral wall 102 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a rotary heat insulating wall 103 is provided in the outer peripheral wall. Rotating insulation wall 103
Has a cylindrical portion 103b centered on a central axis L1, which is the axis of the outer peripheral wall 102, and two partition walls 103a1 and 103a2 extending from the cylindrical portion in two directions and partitioning each operating portion. The partition walls 103a are arranged at 180-degree intervals around the central axis L1. These heat insulating members 1
02, 103, two insulated chambers 10 surrounded by
4 and 105 are formed in the apparatus main body. The partition wall 103a and the cylindrical wall 103b of the rotator heat insulating member 103 are angularly displaced around the central axis L1 by the rotating means 25. In the present embodiment, the angular displacement is 180 ° angular displacement to one side from the position shown in FIG. That is, angular displacement is alternately performed by 180 degrees.

In the main body of the apparatus, a sheet generating section 106 and a detachable section 107 are provided at an interval of 180 degrees around the central axis L1. In the sheet generation unit 106, a crystal sheet is generated. In the attachment / detachment unit 107, the rotating body 2H on which the crystal sheet has been generated is separated and removed from the rotating shaft 15 of the apparatus main body 101, and a new crystal sheet is generated. The rotating body 2 </ b> G is mounted on the rotating shaft 15. These sheet generation unit 106 and attachment / detachment unit 107
02 and the rotary insulating wall 103 are individually partitioned when each operation is performed.
105.

The operation of the rotating body in each operation part will be described with reference to FIG. The rotating body 2 is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 101 by using attaching / detaching means 110 having an extensible arm 111. The attaching / detaching means 110 is moved from the state where the arm 111 is contracted to the attaching / detaching section 107 with the arm 111 contracted.
A horizontal angular displacement operation of 0 degrees is possible. When the rotator 2G is transported from the supply unit 6a, the supply side slide door 46d provided on the apparatus outer wall 45c is opened, and the attachment / detachment unit 110 is mounted.
Arm 111 is angularly displaced by 90 degrees toward the supply means 6a, extends the arm 111, and grips the rotating body 2G on which a sheet is generated. Next, the arm 111 contracts,
7 is displaced by 90 degrees in the opposite direction to the arm 11 again.
1 is extended, and the rotating body 2H is mounted on the rotating shaft 15. When the mounting of the rotating body 2h is completed, the supply-side slide door 46e is closed.

The preheating means 12 is provided on the partition wall 103b.
2 is disposed, and the rotating body 2 attached to the rotating shaft 15
H can be preheated, and at the same time when the mounting of the rotating body 2H to the rotating shaft 15 is completed, the rotating body 2H makes one rotation around the rotating body axis L2, and the base 8 at the outer circumference of the rotating body is preheated. Is done.

In parallel with the preheating, the rotator 2 is conveyed to the sheet generating unit 106 with a 180 ° angular displacement about the central axis L1, and the sheet generating unit 106 performs a crystal sheet generating operation. The crucible 41 is installed on the crucible table whose position can be controlled in the vertical direction in the sheet generation unit 106.
An induction heating device 42 for dissolving the silicon in the crucible is provided on the outer periphery of the crucible. When the rotating body 2H is arranged from the attaching / detaching section 107 to the sheet generating section 106, the crucible 41 is arranged below the rotating body 2H. Crucible 41 is rotating body 2
Until I is placed on the crucible 41, it is placed below the rotating body 2I. When the rotating body 2I is placed on the crucible 41, it is immersed enough to generate a crystal sheet on the base 8 by driving a motor. The crucible base 40 is raised and immersed until it reaches the depth.

After the immersion, the rotator 2I is rotated once around the axis L2 of the rotator, and the silicon crystal sheets are successively solidified and grown on the substrate surface. After the generation of the crystal sheet, the crucible 41 is moved downward by driving a motor, and the rotating body 2I on which the crystal sheet is formed is moved together with the rotary heat insulating wall 103 along the central axis L1.
180 ° angular displacement in the opposite direction.
Transport to In this state, the crystal sheet generating surface 8a of the base 8 is
The resulting crystal sheets are peeled and collected one by one.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG.
01, the crystal sheet may be peeled by transporting the rotating body 2H to a peeling section at a different position. In this case,
When the rotating body 2H on which the crystal sheet has been generated is transported to the attaching / detaching section 107, the transport-side slide door 46e provided on the outer wall 45c of the apparatus is opened, and the attaching / detaching means 110 is moved to the arm 111.
Is extended, and the rotating body 2H on which the crystal sheet is formed is pulled out from the rotating shaft 15 and gripped. Next, the arm 111 is displaced at an angle of 90 degrees toward the transfer means 6b, and passes the gripped rotating body through the transfer side slide door 46e.
Transfer to When the transfer is completed, the transfer side slide door 46e
Is closed. The transporting unit 6b transports the rotating body to a peeling unit (not shown), and performs a sheet peeling operation. Conveying means 6
b, the supply-side slide door 46d provided on the apparatus outer wall 45c is opened, and the rotating body 2G is again removed from the supply means 6a by the attachment / detachment means 110.
Take in 1. In this manner, the generation of the crystal sheet on the rotating body and the attachment / detachment from the apparatus main body are repeated independently and in parallel, so that the crystal sheet can be continuously formed.

In this embodiment, substantially the same effects as those of the above-described crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 can be obtained. In addition, since the rotation of the main components is reciprocally angularly displaced at an angle of 180 degrees around the central axis L1, measures to prevent twisting of the wiring during continuous rotation, and parts that reduce reliability such as rotary joints such as cooling pipes are provided. There is no need to use it, and the reliability of the device can be increased. In addition, since the preheating of the rotating body is performed at the time of angular displacement, the time spent for preheating can be omitted. Further, by reducing the number of operating parts from four to two, the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus can be simplified.

The configuration of the present invention as described above is merely an example of the embodiment, and the configuration can be changed within the scope of the invention. For example, the crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 10 of another embodiment
At 0, the rotation direction of the rotary heat insulating wall 103 does not need to be alternately angularly displaced by 180 degrees, and may be configured to rotate in only one direction and return to the original position.

In this embodiment, the rotating body is rotated about the central axis L1 in the apparatus main body, but need not be rotated. For example, the intake section 11, the preliminary heating section 12,
The sheet generator 9 and the take-out unit 10 are arranged in a line in the apparatus main body.
May be sequentially conveyed. Further, the apparatus main body has a plurality of rotating bodies, and may have four or more rotating bodies.

[0070]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a peeling means with few peeling errors without restriction of heat resistance and shape, and to improve the yield of crystal sheets.
In addition, the melt 3 in the crucible of the sheet generation unit due to the impact at the time of peeling
7 reduces fluctuation and eliminates unevenness of the crystal sheet, and can further smooth the roughness of the crystal sheet surface, so that a high-quality crystal sheet can be manufactured. In addition, by using a rotating body, a crystal sheet can be continuously generated on a plurality of substrates arranged on one rotating body, conveyed at a time, and continuously separated, thereby improving productivity. it can.

Further, according to the present invention, the fluctuation of the temperature of the melt 37 can be prevented and the temperature of the melt 37 can be kept more stable. And the output of the heating means can be reduced. Therefore, the cost of heating is reduced,
The production cost of the crystal sheet can be reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, the heat insulating small chamber
It is possible to suppress a decrease in temperature inside the apparatus main body that occurs when the rotating body is taken out of the apparatus main body. Further, the heat-insulating small chamber can suppress a temperature drop in the apparatus main body caused when the rotating body is taken in from the outside of the apparatus main body. Further, the rotating body disposed in the preliminary heating section can be effectively heated by the heat insulating small chamber, and the output of the heating means can be suppressed. By providing the heat insulating small chamber in the apparatus main body as described above, it is possible to suppress a temperature decrease in the apparatus main body, reduce costs related to heating, and reduce a production cost of the crystal sheet. In addition, since the temperature of the apparatus main body is hardly reduced, preheating can be performed in a short time.

Further, according to the present invention, the control means
Each operation performed in the apparatus main body is performed independently and in parallel, and a plurality of rotating bodies can simultaneously perform different operations. Thereby, the idle time during which the rotating body does not operate can be reduced, and the productivity in the production of the crystal sheet can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, the rotating body after the sheet transferred to the peeling section can perform the sheet peeling step while rotating, so that the crystal sheet can be easily and quickly removed from a plurality of substrates. Can be peeled off.

According to the present invention, after the sheet generating step is performed by the sheet generating section, the rotating body is moved, and the sheet separating step is performed by the separating section arranged at a different position from the sheet generating section. In addition, it is possible to eliminate the restrictions on the heat resistance and the shape of the sheet peeling means, to easily and reliably perform the sheet peeling step, and to prevent the impact accompanying the sheet peeling from being transmitted to the sheet generating unit.

Further, since the rotating body has a plurality of bases arranged on the outer peripheral portion, the generation and the peeling of the sheet can be continuously performed on the plurality of bases arranged on one rotating body, and the productivity is improved. Can be improved. Furthermore, since the sheet generation step and the sheet separation step are performed independently, the sheet generation step can be performed regardless of the sheet separation step, and the productivity of the crystal sheet can be further improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 as viewed from a section line S2-S2.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line S3-S3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a base 8;

FIG. 5 is a crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1,100 Crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus 2A to 2J Rotating body 3,101 Main body 4 Mounting means 5 Transfer means 6a Supply means 6b Transport means 8 Base 8a Sheet generation surface 9, 106 Sheet generation unit 10 Extraction unit 11 Intake unit 12 Reserved Heating part 13, 103 Rotating heat insulating wall 13a1, 13a2, 103a1, 103a2 Partition wall 13b, 103b Cylindrical wall 14, 102 Outer peripheral wall 15 Rotating shaft 16 Clutch 17 Rotating bevel gear 18 Drive bevel gear 19-22 104, 105 Insulating small chamber 23 Rotating Body drive motor 24, 122 Preheating means 25 Rotating means 28 Central rotating shaft 29 Bearing base 30 Bearing 31, 32 Gear 33 Main motor 34 Lower heat insulating case 35 Protective lid 36 Heat insulating substrate 37 Melt 38, 39 Arm 40 Crucible table 41 Crucible 42 induction heating means 43堝 motor 45a, 45b, 45c device outer wall 46a, 46b, 46d, 46e slide wall 47 center hole 107 detachable portion 110 connecting unit 111 arm L1 central axis L2 rotator axis

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) B22D 29/04 B22D 29/04 Z 45/00 45/00 C H01L 31/04 H01L 31/04 X

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus for storing a melt of a metal or semiconductor material in a crucible, immersing a substrate in the crucible, and solidifying and growing the metal or semiconductor material on the surface of the substrate. A plurality of rotating bodies arranged on the outer peripheral portion; a sheet generating section for rotating the rotating body to solidify and grow a crystal sheet on each substrate surface; and a sheet generating section at a different position from the sheet generating section, after completion of sheet generation. An apparatus for manufacturing a crystal sheet, comprising: a separation unit that separates a crystal sheet formed on each substrate from a rotating body. 2. The crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an apparatus main body including a plurality of rotating bodies is provided with the sheet generation unit and a heat insulating small chamber that covers the sheet generation unit. 3. The crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a take-out part for taking out the rotating body after the sheet is generated and a heat insulating small chamber covering the take-out part are provided in the apparatus main body. 4. The crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an intake section for taking in the rotating body before sheet generation from the outside and a heat insulating small chamber covering the intake section are provided in the apparatus main body. 5. The crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a preheating unit for warming the rotating body before sheet generation and a heat insulating small chamber covering the preheating unit are provided in the apparatus main body. 6. The crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising control means for performing operations performed in the apparatus main body independently and in parallel. 7. The crystal sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a peeling means for sequentially peeling each of the substrates while rotating the rotating body taken out of the apparatus main body. 8. A method for producing a crystal sheet, comprising: storing a melt of a metal or semiconductor material in a crucible; immersing a substrate in the crucible; and solidifying and growing the metal or semiconductor material on the surface of the substrate. A sheet generating step of rotating a rotating body on which the substrates are arranged in a sheet generating unit, sequentially immersing each substrate in a crucible, and generating a crystal sheet on the surface of each substrate; and A sheet separating step of moving the sheet to a separating section at a different position to separate a crystal sheet formed on the substrate, wherein the sheet generating step and the sheet separating step are performed independently. Method.