JP2006151768A - Apparatus for manufacturing deposited plate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for manufacturing a deposited plate, which is compact and with which the deposited plate having excellent quality can be obtained. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus 20 for manufacturing the deposited plate is constituted of a crucible 22 for storing a melt 21 of a semiconductor material, a heating means 23 for heating the crucible 22 and the melt 21, a treatment chamber 24 for accommodating the crucible 22, a cooled body carrying in preparation chamber 26 for accommodating a cooled body 25 to be carried into the treatment chamber 24 and a cooled body carrying out preparation chamber 27 for accommodating the cooled body 25 to be carried out to the outside of the treatment chamber 24, which are provided nearly parallel and each linked to the same side of the treatment chamber 24, a transporting means 29 for transporting the cooled body 25 in the apparatus, an immersing means 30 for immersing the cooled body 25 into the melt 21 and pulling up the cooled body 25, and a material replenishing means 31 for replenishing the semiconductor material into the crucible 22. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a deposition plate manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a deposition plate from a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material.

  In recent years, various power generation methods such as wind power generation and wave power generation other than thermal power generation using fossil fuels have been attempted in order to reduce the burden on the global environment. Among them, the most noticed and positioned at the forefront of practical use is power generation by a solar cell, and a polycrystalline silicon wafer is used as a material for the solar cell.

  One of the typical methods for producing polycrystalline silicon wafers used in solar cells is to heat and melt high-purity silicon to which a dopant such as phosphorus (P) or boron (B) is added in an inert gas atmosphere. The melt is poured into a mold and cooled, and the resulting polycrystalline silicon ingot is cut into small blocks with a band saw or the like, and further sliced with a wire saw or the like to obtain a silicon wafer.

  In such a manufacturing method, in addition to a casting process for obtaining a polycrystalline silicon ingot, a wide variety of processes such as a process of cutting to a wafer outer block size, a process of slicing to a wafer thickness, a cleaning process, a drying process, etc. A process is required. Further, when slicing to obtain a wafer having a thickness of 0.3 mm, the cutting allowance of 0.2 to 0.3 mm is lost as cutting powder, so that the utilization efficiency of the silicon material, that is, the yield is poor. This is a major obstacle to reducing the manufacturing cost of solar cells.

  As a prior art for solving such a problem, there has been proposed a silicon ribbon method in which sheet-like silicon is directly drawn from a silicon melt and does not require a slicing step (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). In the method disclosed in this prior art, a rotating body having a carbon net wound around a surface is brought into contact with a silicon melt, and the rotating body is cooled, so that crystallization of silicon starts on the carbon net, and the rotating body When the carbon net is pulled out in synchronization with the rotation, the silicon ribbon is continuously drawn using the solid silicon grown on the carbon net as a seed, so that a silicon wafer can be obtained regardless of slicing.

  However, in the method using a cylindrical rotating cooling body, since silicon grows solid along the outer periphery of the cylinder, the grown silicon is formed into a bent shape along the cylinder. Since the solar cell manufacturing process includes an electrode forming process by screen printing and the like, if the shape of the silicon substrate is bent, there is a high possibility that the silicon substrate will be broken during printing, resulting in a decrease in process yield.

  In addition, as a method of directly manufacturing a thin silicon wafer from molten silicon, a cooling body having a flat thin plate generating surface is immersed in the silicon melt for a certain period of time by a rotating drum type operating mechanism, and the thin plate generating surface of the cooling body is thus obtained. A method of forming a thin plate-like silicon wafer grown along the line has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

  However, in the method in which the cooling body is rotated and moved at a constant speed by the rotating drum type operating mechanism, a difference in time of immersion in the melt occurs between the central portion and the front and rear portions of the thin plate generating surface. The thickness of the thin silicon wafer depends on the time of immersion in the melt. The longer the immersion time, the thicker the crystal grows, so the thin plate is formed due to the difference in immersion time on the thin plate generation surface. The thickness of the silicon wafer is not constant, which causes quality problems.

  As another method for directly manufacturing a thin silicon wafer from molten silicon, a thin cooling substrate is used, and the cooling substrate is immersed in a silicon melt stored in a crucible, and polycrystalline on the surface of the cooling substrate. A deposition plate manufacturing apparatus and method for generating a silicon wafer by deposition are proposed (see Patent Document 4).

  FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an outline of a conventional precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 1. A conventional deposited plate manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The conventional precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 1 has a configuration in which the cooling substrate 2 can move in two directions, a horizontal direction indicated by an arrow 3 and a vertical direction indicated by an arrow 4.

  The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a cooling substrate transfer means 5. The cooling substrate transfer means 5 includes a horizontal transfer means 6 and a vertical transfer means 7. The horizontal transfer means 6 includes a horizontal movement shaft 8 extending in the horizontal direction 3 and a cooling substrate holding portion 9 that can detachably hold the cooling substrate 2 and is movably mounted on the horizontal movement shaft 8. . The horizontal movement shaft 8 is, for example, a linear rail, and is a cooling substrate held by the cooling substrate holding portion 9 by a horizontal movement motor (not shown) provided at a portion where the cooling substrate holding portion 9 is attached to the horizontal movement shaft 8. 2 can move freely in the horizontal direction 3.

  The horizontal movement shaft 8 is attached to the vertical conveying means 7 at both ends thereof. The vertical conveyance means 7 includes a vertical movement shaft 10 extending in the vertical direction 4 and a vertical movement motor 11 that is movably mounted on the vertical movement shaft 10. The horizontal movement shaft 8 is attached to a holding portion of the vertical movement motor 11. For example, the vertical movement shaft 10 is a rack, and the vertical movement motor 11 is provided with a pinion that meshes with the rack, for example, so that the vertical movement motor 11 itself can be moved along the vertical movement shaft 10. As the vertical movement motor 11 moves in the vertical direction 4, the horizontal movement shaft 8 attached to the holding portion of the vertical movement motor 11, the cooling substrate holding part 9 attached to the horizontal movement shaft 8, and further cooling The cooling substrate 2 held by the substrate holding unit 9 can move in the vertical direction 4.

  By such horizontal transport means 6 and vertical transport means 7, the cooling substrate 2 can freely move in a plane defined by the horizontal movement shaft 8 and the vertical movement shaft 10. The horizontal transfer means 6 and the vertical transfer means 7 may be configured as a mechanism such as a ball screw.

  Below the horizontal movement shaft 8, a crucible 13 for storing the silicon melt 12 and a heating means 14 for heating the crucible 13 and the silicon melt 12 are provided. Above the silicon melt 12, a heat shielding means 15 for protecting the horizontal transfer means 6 from the heat of the silicon melt 12 is disposed. For the heat shielding means 15, a device, member, or the like having high heat insulation properties such as a water-cooled metal plate or a heat insulation plate made of a heat resistant material is used. By providing this heat shielding means 15, it is possible to avoid accuracy loss due to thermal destruction of the horizontal conveying means 6 and deterioration of linearity of the horizontal moving shaft 8 due to thermal expansion.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the silicon polycrystalline thin plate 16 from the silicon melt 12 using the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 1 will be illustrated. First, the cooling substrate 2 is held by the cooling substrate holding part 9 at a position away from the silicon melt 12. Next, the horizontal transport unit 6 is driven to transport the cooling substrate 2 to the position immediately above the silicon melt 12, and the horizontal transport unit 6 and the vertical transport unit 7 are respectively driven, so that an arbitrary trajectory is formed on the cooling substrate 2. Then, the cooling substrate 2 is immersed in the silicon melt 12. Subsequently, the vertical conveying means 7 is operated to pull up the substrate 2 from the silicon melt 12, thereby depositing and growing a silicon polycrystalline thin plate 16 on the cooling substrate 2.

  Further, after the cooling substrate 2 is pulled up from the silicon melt 12, the horizontal transfer means 6 and the vertical transfer means 7 are respectively operated, and the cooling substrate 2 on which the silicon polycrystalline thin plate 16 is deposited and grown is removed from the silicon melt 12. Transport to a remote location. Thereafter, the cooling substrate 2 is removed from the cooling substrate holding unit 9 to obtain a silicon polycrystalline thin plate 16 that is deposited and grown from the cooling substrate 2.

  However, the conventional precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 1 disclosed in Patent Document 4 has the following problems. Although a method for immersing a cooling substrate in a silicon melt for obtaining a silicon polycrystalline thin plate is disclosed, a specific apparatus configuration is not disclosed. For example, when using a silicon melt, the temperature of the melt is 1400 ° C. or higher, so there is an oxidation problem in the atmosphere. When producing a silicon polycrystalline thin plate, the production atmosphere is an inert gas atmosphere. In spite of the necessity of special environment such as the above, there is no disclosure of a specific configuration for adjusting the atmosphere.

  Further, in order to carry the cooling substrate into or out of the processing chamber for generating a silicon polycrystalline thin plate whose atmosphere is adjusted from the atmosphere, the surrounding environment of the cooling substrate called a so-called load lock chamber is defined as the processing chamber. Even though a space (preparation room) for making them identical is separately required, such a configuration is not disclosed at all. Moreover, since the subject and the solution in the immersion method for producing | generating the thin plate (precipitation plate) with uniform thickness are not disclosed, there exists a problem that it is hard to say that it has a structure sufficient for a mass production apparatus.

JP-A 61-275119 JP 2001-206798 A JP 2002-175996 A JP 2003-59849 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus capable of obtaining a precipitation plate that is compact and excellent in quality.

The present invention provides a deposition plate manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a deposition plate of a metal material or a semiconductor material on a surface of a cooling body by immersing and pulling up a cooling body in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material.
A container for storing a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material;
Heating means for heating the container and the metal or semiconductor material in the container;
A processing chamber for storing the container in the internal space;
A cooling body carry-in preparation chamber connected to the processing chamber and containing a cooling body for carrying into the processing chamber;
A cooling body carry-out preparation chamber connected to the processing chamber and containing a cooling body for carrying out of the processing chamber;
Conveying means for carrying the cooling body from the external space to the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the processing chamber, and carrying the cooling body from the processing chamber to the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber and the external space;
Immersion means for immersing and pulling up the cooling body in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material stored in a container;
And a material replenishing means for replenishing the metal material or semiconductor material before being melted into the container.

  The present invention is characterized in that the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber are connected to the same side of the processing chamber and are provided substantially in parallel.

In the present invention, the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber each include a gate valve that can be opened and closed at a connection portion with the processing chamber and a portion facing the external space on the opposite side.
The cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber are provided with a cooling body delivery means for delivering the cooling body between the processing chamber and the external space and the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber,
The cooling body delivery means includes a cooling body delivery operation control means for controlling the operation of the cooling body delivery means so that the delivery operation of the cooling body delivery means is synchronized with the opening / closing operation of the gate valve.

In the present invention, at least in the cooling body delivery means provided in the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber,
Falling matter receiving means for receiving a depositing plate or a part of the depositing plate that is peeled off from the cooling body is provided.

In the present invention, the conveying means is
It includes a stack transfer means that holds a plurality of cooling bodies in the processing chamber and can transfer them in the vertical direction.

In the present invention, the material replenishing means is
A precipitation plate receptor for receiving a precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate that is detached from a cooling body pulled up after being immersed in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material stored in a container;
Deposit detection means for detecting the volume or weight of the deposit comprising the deposit plate or a portion of the deposit plate deposited on the deposit plate receiver;
A material replenishment amount calculating means for calculating a replenishment amount of the metal material or semiconductor material according to the detection output of the deposit detection means;
Re-injection means for re-introducing into the container a deposit consisting of a precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate deposited on the precipitation plate receptor;
And a material loading means for loading a metal material or a semiconductor material into the container according to the calculation result of the material replenishment amount calculating means.

In the present invention, the material replenishing means is
A precipitation plate receptor for receiving a precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate that is detached from a cooling body pulled up after being immersed in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material stored in a container;
Deposit detection means for detecting the volume or weight of the deposit comprising the deposit plate or a portion of the deposit plate deposited on the deposit plate receiver;
Immersion number detection means for detecting the number of times the cooling body is immersed in the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container by the immersion means;
A material replenishment amount calculating means for calculating a replenishment amount of the metal material or the semiconductor material according to the detection outputs of the deposit detection means and the immersion number detection means,
Re-injection means for re-introducing into the container a deposit consisting of a precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate deposited on the precipitation plate receptor;
And a material loading means for loading a metal material or a semiconductor material into the container according to the calculation result of the material replenishment amount calculating means.

The present invention further includes a hot water surface height detecting means for detecting the liquid surface height of the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container,
Material replenishment means
In accordance with the detection output of the molten metal surface height detecting means, it is provided with a material loading position control means for controlling the operation of the material loading means so that a metal material or a semiconductor material is loaded at a position where the molten metal surface height is the highest. To do.

The present invention also includes a cooling body thickness measuring means for measuring the thickness of the cooling body,
The dipping means includes dipping trajectory control means for controlling a trajectory in which the dipping means is dipped in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material stored in a container according to the detection output of the cooling body thickness measuring means.

The present invention further includes a hot water surface height detecting means for detecting the liquid surface height of the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container,
Immersion trajectory control means for controlling the trajectory in which the immersion means is immersed in the melt of the metal material or the semiconductor material stored in the container according to the detection output of the molten metal surface height detection means. .

  According to the present invention, the heating means includes a high frequency induction heating coil and a high frequency power source.

  Further, the present invention includes a precipitation plate heating means for heating a precipitation plate formed on the surface of a cooling body pulled up after being immersed in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material stored in a container.

  Further, the present invention provides a deposition plate formed on the surface of the cooling body pulled up after the immersion means is immersed in the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container, above the container and / or the melt. Heating by radiant heat is performed by moving it so that it is positioned.

In the present invention, the cooling body is made of carbon.
An alternating magnetic field formed by a high-frequency induction heating coil and a high-frequency power source is used for the precipitation plate formed on the surface of the cooling body that is pulled up after being immersed in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material stored in a container. It is characterized by heating by moving in.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the precipitation plate which is excellent in quality can be manufactured stably, and the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus of a compact magnitude | size is provided.

  Further, according to the present invention, the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber are connected to the same side of the processing chamber and provided substantially in parallel, so that the installation area of the apparatus can be reduced and the cooling body apparatus can be reduced. Can be carried in and out from the same side, and work efficiency can be improved.

  Further, according to the present invention, the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber are each provided with a gate valve that can be opened and closed at a connection portion with the processing chamber and a portion facing the external space on the opposite side. Cooling body delivery means for delivering the cooling body is provided between the chamber and the external space and each preparation chamber, and the delivery operation of the cooling body delivery means is controlled to be synchronized with the opening / closing operation of the gate valve. As a result, when the cooling body passes through the gate valve, it can move smoothly, and the cooling body is less likely to cause a conveyance trouble in the vicinity of the gate valve.

  Further, according to the present invention, at least the cooling body delivery means provided in the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber is provided with the falling plate receiving means for receiving the falling precipitation plate or a part of the falling precipitation plate from the cooling body. When the cooling body passes through the gate valve, even if the precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate generated on the cooling body falls, the fallen object is mixed into the gate valve and adversely affects the operation of the gate valve. It can prevent giving.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the transfer means includes the stack transfer means that holds a plurality of cooling bodies in the processing chamber and can transfer them in the vertical direction, the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber are processed. It can be a means for buffering the time for making the atmosphere the same as the chamber, for example, the replacement time for making the atmosphere of nitrogen or an inert gas, and downsizing of the apparatus can be realized.

  According to the invention, the material replenishing means calculates the replenishment amount of the metal material or the semiconductor material according to the volume or weight of the deposit of the metal material or the semiconductor material deposited on the deposition plate receptor. Since the calculating means is provided, it is possible to always supply the material replenishing amount to be replenished by charging the metal material or semiconductor material before melting into the container.

  Further, according to the present invention, the material replenishing means includes the volume or weight of the deposit of the metal material or the semiconductor material deposited on the deposition plate receiver, and the number of times of immersion in which the cooling body is immersed in the melt stored in the container. According to the above, a material replenishment amount calculating means for calculating a replenishment amount of the metal material or the semiconductor material is provided. This eliminates the need to measure the volume or weight of the melt in the container in order to calculate the material replenishment amount, and eliminates the need for these measuring devices, thus simplifying the device configuration and reducing its cost. Can do.

  Further, according to the present invention, it further includes a molten metal surface height detecting means for detecting the liquid surface height of the melt in the container, and the material replenishing means is adapted to detect the molten metal surface height according to the detection output of the molten metal surface height detecting means. The metal material or the semiconductor material is controlled so as to be placed at the position where the height is the highest. As a result, when replenishing the material, the metal material or the semiconductor material can be dispersed and charged, so that the material replenishment time can be shortened and the production capacity of the precipitation plate can be improved.

  Further, according to the present invention, a cooling body thickness measuring means for measuring the thickness of the cooling body is provided, and the dipping means immerses the cooling body in the melt in the container according to the detection output of the cooling body thickness measuring means, for example, The immersion depth is controlled. As a result, the immersion depth of the cooling body in the melt by the dipping means can be corrected according to the thickness of the cooling body, so that the immersion time of the cooling body is always constant and the thickness of the precipitation plate due to individual differences of the cooling body. Fluctuations can be suppressed.

  Further, according to the present invention, the immersion depth of the cooling body in the melt by the immersion means can be corrected according to the detection output of the molten metal surface height detection means and the cooling body thickness measurement means, so that the cooling can be performed with higher accuracy. Variations in the thickness of the precipitation plate due to individual differences in the body can be suppressed.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the heating means includes the high frequency induction heating coil and the high frequency power source, it is possible to efficiently heat and melt the container and the metal material or semiconductor material in the container. This makes it possible to shorten the production stop period at the time of material replenishment and improve the production capacity of the precipitation plate.

  Further, according to the present invention, a heating means for heating the precipitation plate generated on the surface of the cooling body pulled up after being immersed in the melt is provided, so that the thermal stress accumulated in the solidified and grown precipitation plate is relieved. The strength of the precipitation plate can be improved.

  Further, according to the present invention, the dipping means is configured to cause the precipitation plate generated on the surface of the cooling body pulled up after dipping in the melt of the metal material or the semiconductor material stored in the vessel to the container and / or the melt. Since it is configured to be heated by radiant heat by moving it so as to be positioned above, the crystal growth surface can be heated without providing a special heating means, and the apparatus cost can be reduced.

  Further, according to the present invention, the dipping means generates a high frequency induction heating coil by depositing the deposited plate formed on the surface of the carbon cooling body pulled up after being immersed in the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container. And heating by moving into an alternating magnetic field formed by a high-frequency power source, it is possible to heat the crystal growth surface by induction heating without providing a special heating means, and the device cost can be reduced. .

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a simplified configuration of a deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a configuration of a conveying means 29 provided in the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 shown in FIG. It is a perspective view shown. In the present embodiment, as the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20, an apparatus for manufacturing a polycrystalline silicon wafer which is a semiconductor material precipitation plate on the surface of the cooling body 25 by immersing and pulling up the cooling body 25 in a semiconductor material such as silicon melt. It illustrates about.

  The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 generally includes a container 22 for storing a melt 21 of a semiconductor material (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a melt 21), a container 22 and a semiconductor material in the container 22 and / or a melt. A heating means 23 for heating 21, a processing chamber 24 for storing the container 22 in the internal space, and a cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 for receiving a cooling body 25 connected to the processing chamber 24 and carried into the processing chamber 24. A cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 which is connected to the processing chamber 24 and accommodates a cooling body 25 to be carried out of the processing chamber 24, a cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26, a cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27, and a processing chamber 24. The cooling body loading / unloading base 28 provided to be continuous on the opposite side, and the cooling body 25 are loaded from the external space into the cooling body loading preparation chamber 26 and the processing chamber 24, and the cooling body 25 is prepared from the processing chamber 24 for cooling body unloading. Chamber 27 Conveying means 29 for carrying out to the external space, immersion means 30 for immersing and lifting the cooling body 25 in the melt 21 stored in the container 22, and material replenishment for replenishing the semiconductor material before being melted into the container 22 The unit 31 includes a control unit 32 that controls the operation of each unit and each unit.

  Here, a direction related to the arrangement of the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 is defined. The precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 is assumed to be installed on a base (not shown) parallel to the horizontal plane, and the horizontal plane is represented by an XY two-dimensional plane. The direction in which the cooling body 25 is carried into and out of the processing chamber 24 is called the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction in the horizontal plane is called the Y direction. A direction perpendicular to the XY two-dimensional plane, that is, a vertical direction is referred to as a Z direction. In the present embodiment, the Z direction which is the vertical direction is a direction in which the cooling body 25 is immersed in the melt 21 and pulled up. This XYZ direction is commonly used throughout the specification.

  A container 22 for storing a melt 21 of semiconductor material is a bottomed cylindrical carbon crucible 22. A high frequency induction heating coil 41 made of copper, the inside of which is water-cooled, is wound so as to turn around the crucible 22. The high frequency induction heating coil 41 is connected to a high frequency power source 42 provided in the power supply panel 33. The high frequency induction heating coil 41 and the high frequency power source 42 constitute the heating means 23. The high-frequency power source 42 is connected to the control device 32 and is on / off-controlled by the control device 32 according to the detection output of a temperature sensor (not shown) that detects the temperature of the melt 21 in the crucible 22. The power supply panel 33 includes not only the high-frequency power supply 42 but also a control device 32 for operating each part of the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 and a power supply for supplying power to each drive part and the like.

  The crucible 22 receives an alternating magnetic force generated when the high-frequency induction heating coil 41 is energized with a high-frequency current, generates Joule heat by the induced current, the carbon crucible 22 itself is heated by this Joule heat, and the crucible 22 The semiconductor material 21 stored in the inside is dissolved.

  Although a resistance heating method including a resistor and a power source can be used as the heating means, high-frequency induction heating is optimal in consideration of the melting capacity and advantages in material replenishment described later. Therefore, the crucible 22 that is a container is optimally made of carbon, but may be made of quartz that is slightly inferior in heating efficiency in order to avoid mixing of carbon into the metal material or semiconductor material.

  The processing chamber 24 that houses the crucible 22 and the high-frequency induction heating coil 41 that is wound around the crucible 22 in the internal space is a stainless steel casing having a rectangular parallelepiped appearance, and is hermetically sealed from the external space. It is comprised so that it can be achieved. In FIG. 1, although the processing chamber 24 is shown in a transparent state, it cannot actually be seen through.

  The processing chamber 24 is provided with an openable / closable shutter, and a vacuum system pipe connected to a vacuum pump and a gas supply system pipe connected to a nitrogen or inert gas supply source are connected through the shutter. The Thus, the processing chamber 24 can replace the internal space of the processing chamber 24 from the atmosphere with nitrogen or an inert gas atmosphere.

  In addition to the above-mentioned crucible 22 and high-frequency induction heating coil 41, the cooling body 25 is immersed in the melt 21 in the crucible 22 in the internal space of the processing furnace 24 to solidify and precipitate the semiconductor material on the crystal generation surface of the cooling body 25. The immersion means 30 for providing a trajectory for moving the cooling body 25 and the processing chamber transport means 43 that constitutes a part of the transport means 29 and transports the cooling body 25 in the processing chamber 24 are accommodated. A work table 34 for maintaining the crucible 22 in contact with the processing chamber 24 is provided outside the processing chamber 24.

  The cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 are connected to the same side of the processing chamber 24, that is, one side wall surface 24 a side, and are provided substantially in parallel. The cooling body carry-in / out stand 28 is disposed on the opposite side of the processing body 24 with respect to the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 so as to be connected to the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27. Provided.

  The cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 is a metal casing that is elongated in the X direction. A first gate valve 44 that can be opened and closed is provided at a connection portion with the cooling body carry-in / out table 28, and is connected to the processing chamber 24. A second gate valve 45 that can be freely opened and closed is provided in the section. Moreover, the cooling body carrying-in preparation chamber 26 is configured to be able to replace the internal space from the atmosphere to nitrogen or an inert gas atmosphere in the same manner as the processing chamber 24. In the internal space of the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26, a carry-in preparation chamber carrying means 46 that constitutes a part of the carrying means 29 and a cooling body delivery means 50 are provided. In FIG. 1, the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 is shown with the top plate portion omitted.

  The cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 is also a metal case extending in the X direction, and a third gate valve 47 that can be opened and closed is provided at a connection portion with the cooling body carry-in / out table 28, and is connected to the processing chamber 24. A fourth gate valve 48 that can be freely opened and closed is provided in the section. In addition, the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 is configured to be able to replace the internal space from the atmosphere with nitrogen or an inert gas atmosphere, like the processing chamber 24. In the internal space of the cooling body unloading preparation chamber 27, an unloading preparation chamber conveying means 49 that constitutes a part of the conveying means 29 and a cooling body delivery means 50 are provided. In FIG. 1, the cooling body unloading preparation chamber 27 is illustrated with the top plate portion omitted.

  The cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 are referred to as so-called load lock chambers that can shut off the interior of the chamber from the external space by closing the gate valve and can adjust the internal atmosphere. Is. A steel frame-like structure on which the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 are placed is a load lock stage 51 that supports the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27. .

  The cooling body loading / unloading table 28 includes a stage 52 and a conveyor mechanism (not shown). On the stage 52, a plurality of cooling bodies 25 to be carried into the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 and a plurality of cooling bodies 25 carried out from the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 are arranged to form a plurality of cooling sheets. A mechanism for collectively transporting the bodies 25 to the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 and a mechanism for receiving the cooling bodies 25 collectively discharged from the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 are provided.

  Since the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 are provided on the load lock stage 51 substantially in parallel as described above, for example, when the semiconductor material is repeatedly deposited on the cooling body 25, By a transfer mechanism (not shown) provided in the cooling body carry-in / out table 28, the cooling body 25 carried out from the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 can be quickly transferred to the carry-in side of the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26. . Thus, since the transfer space of the cooling body 25 can be reduced, the whole apparatus can be downsized.

  A cooling body thickness measuring means 53 for measuring the thickness of the cooling body 25 is provided above the cooling body 25 on the stage 52. The cooling body thickness measuring means 53 includes a light emitting element 53a that emits light from above the cooling body 25 toward the surface of the cooling body 25, and a light receiving element 53b that receives the reflected light reflected by the cooling body 25. The thickness of the cooling body 25 is detected based on the principle of trigonometry by detecting the incident angle of the reflected light that is configured and incident on the light receiving element 53b.

  The position at which the thickness of the cooling body 25 is detected is not limited to the position on the stage 52, and may be a position before the cooling body 25 is conveyed to the immersion means 30. However, in the above-described cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26, cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27, and processing chamber 24, a vacuum-compatible detection sensor is required, so the position shown in this embodiment can be realized with the least expensive configuration. It is preferable. In FIG. 1, the support means for the light emitting element 53a and the light receiving element 53b is not particularly shown, but any support means may be adopted as long as it is at the position shown in FIG.

  Next, the configuration of the conveying means 29 will be described with reference to FIG. The transfer means 29 is generally provided in the carry-in preparation chamber transfer means 46 provided in the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26, the carry-out preparation chamber transfer means 49 provided in the cooler discharge preparation chamber 27, and the processing chamber 24. And a processing chamber transfer means 43.

  The carry-in preparation indoor conveyance means 46 and the carry-out preparation indoor conveyance means 49 include a plurality of conveyance rollers 61, an endless belt 62 stretched around the plurality of conveyance rollers 61, and a motor (not shown) that rotationally drives the conveyance rollers 61. Consists of including. The conveyance roller 61 is rotated by rotating the motor, and the rotation of the conveyance roller 61 is transmitted to the endless belt 62, so that the endless belt 62 rotates as a belt conveyor. The cooling body 25 is placed on the endless belt 62 and conveyed in the rotational direction of the endless belt 62. In other words, the carry-in preparation chamber transport means 46 transports the cooling body 25 from the cooling body carry-in / out table 28 side toward the processing chamber 24 side, and the carry-out preparation chamber transport means 49 performs the cooling body carry-in / out table from the processing chamber 24 side. The cooling body 25 is conveyed toward the 28 side.

  In addition, it is desirable that the carrying-out preparation chamber carrying means 49 is made of, for example, a member made of stainless steel that is heat resistant to a temperature of 200 to 300 ° C. This is due to the fact that the cooling plate 25 having a high temperature due to the formation of the precipitation plate by the immersion treatment in the treatment chamber 24 must be transported.

  Further, the carry-out preparation chamber conveyance means 49 is configured in a state in which a belt conveyor including a plurality of conveyance rollers 61 and an endless belt 62 is divided into a plurality of parts, and a gap formed by the belt conveyors is cooled in the processing chamber 24. When a part of the precipitation plate formed on the body 25 falls as a broken piece on the belt conveyor, a drop gap 63 is formed for quickly removing the broken piece from the belt conveyor. The drop gap 63 is set to such a size that the debris can be dropped without dropping the regular size cooling body 25, thereby transporting the cooling body 25 without hindrance and removing debris falling objects. It can be removed from the belt conveyor.

  Further, the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 are provided with cooling body delivery means in the vicinity of each of the first to fourth gate valves 44, 45, 47, 48. FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the configuration of the cooling body delivery means 50 provided in the vicinity of the fourth gate valve 48 of the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27. FIG. 3A shows a state where the fourth gate valve 48 is closed, and FIG. 3B shows a state where the fourth gate valve 48 is open. Since the cooling body delivery means 50 provided close to each of the first to fourth gate valves 44, 45, 47, 48 is the same except that the delivery direction is different, the vicinity of the fourth gate valve 48 The cooling body delivery means 50 provided in the above will be described as a representative example, and description of the other will be omitted.

  The cooling body delivery means 50 includes a plurality of delivery rollers 50 a, a roller support portion 50 b that rotatably supports the delivery rollers 50 a, a plurality of delivery rollers 50 a, and the roller support portion 50 b of the delivery preparation chamber transport means 49. It includes a moving means (not shown) that moves substantially parallel (in the direction of arrow 65 in the figure) to the moving direction of the endless belt 62 (not shown in FIG. 3) that constitutes the belt conveyor.

  When the valve valve 48b of the fourth gate valve 48 moves away from the valve body 48a and the fourth gate valve 48 is opened, the moving means moves the delivery roller 50a and the roller support portion 50b to the valve body 48a. It moves to the level | step-difference part 66, and the cooling body 25 carried out from the process chamber 24 is received so that it may be mounted on the delivery roller 50a. After receiving the cooling body 25, the moving means moves the delivery roller 50a and the roller support portion 50b toward the inside of the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27, and transports the cooling body 25 on the delivery roller 50a into the carry-out preparation chamber. Transfer onto the endless belt 62 of the means 49.

  Thus, by providing the cooling body delivery means 64 in the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27, the cooling body 25 can be moved via the first to fourth gate valves 44, 45, 47, 48. It is possible to move smoothly between the processing chamber 24 and the cooling body loading / unloading table 28.

  Further, the cooling body delivery means 50 is provided with a falling object receiving cover 67 as a falling object receiving means at the lower portion thereof, and the falling object receiving cover 67 can be moved in conjunction with the cooling body delivery means 50. Is done. The fallen object receiving cover 67 has a pallet shape and is made of, for example, stainless steel. By providing the fall object receiving cover 67 in the lower part of the cooling body delivery means 50, when the cooling body 25 passes through the step portion 66 of the gate valve, falling objects such as fragments of the precipitation plate from the cooling body 25 become the step portion. 66, it is possible to prevent the first to fourth gate valves 44, 45, 47, and 48 from being damaged by the mixed fragments of the precipitation plate, thereby reducing the service life. Since the falling of the fragments of the precipitation plate is remarkable in the third gate valve 47 and the fourth gate valve 48, the falling object receiving cover 67 is provided only in the vicinity of the third and fourth gate valves 47, 48. There may be.

  Transfer mechanism (not shown) of the cooling body delivery means 50, the carry-in preparation indoor conveyance means 46, the carry-out preparation indoor conveyance means 49, the processing chamber conveyance means 43, and the cooling body carry-in / out stand 28 (the cooling body 25 is replaced with the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 And the mechanism that receives from the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 operate in synchronization with the opening and closing operations of the first to fourth gate valves 44, 45, 47, and 48. That is, when the predetermined valve of any of the first to fourth gate valves 44, 45, 47, 48 is open, the delivery operation of the cooling body 25 is executed.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration relating to operation control of the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 by the control device 32. In FIG. 4, the control system related to the operation of the cooling body delivery means 50 synchronized with the opening / closing operation of the gate valves 44, 45, 47, 48 is combined with the other control system related to the overall operation of the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20. Show.

  The control device 32 includes a processing circuit on which a central processing unit (CPU) is mounted and a memory 35, and is realized by, for example, a computer. The memory 35 is constituted by, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), or the like, and an operation control program for controlling the overall operation of the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 and deposition plate manufacturing. The operation condition data of each means provided in the apparatus 20 is stored in advance. The control device 32 controls the operation of the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 according to the program and condition data read from the memory 35.

  Referring to FIG. 4 below, the transfer mechanisms of the cooling body delivery means 50, the carry-in preparation indoor conveyance means 46, the carry-out preparation indoor conveyance means 49, the processing chamber conveyance means 43, and the cooling body carry-in / out carriage 28 are first to fourth. Control that operates in synchronization with the opening / closing operation of the gate valves 44, 45, 47, 48 will be described.

  The first to fourth gate valves 44, 45, 47, 48 are electrically connected to the control device 32, and the opening / closing operation of each gate valve is controlled by the control device 32. The first to fourth gate valves 44, 45, 47, 48 that open and close according to the operation command of the control device 32 feed back to the control device 32 a signal indicating whether it is in an open state or a closed state. Exemplifying the operation in the vicinity of the fourth gate valve 48 provided in the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 in FIG. 3 described above, the control device 32 causes the control chamber 32 to respond to the feedback signal that the fourth gate valve 48 is open. The transfer means 43 controls the operation so as to transfer the cooling body 25 toward the fourth gate valve 48, and the cooling body delivery means 50 moves to the position of the step portion 66 of the valve main body 48a to transfer the cooling body from the processing chamber transfer means 43 to the cooling body. Then, the cooling body delivery means 50 moves inward of the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 and controls the operation so that the cooling body 25 is delivered to the carry-out preparation chamber transport means 49. Further, in response to a signal that the fourth gate valve 48 is in the closed state, the control device 32 stops the transfer and delivery operations of the processing chamber transfer means 43, the cooling body delivery means 64, and the unloading preparation chamber transfer means 49. Control the operation. Therefore, the control device 32 acts as a cooling body delivery operation control means.

  The transfer and delivery operation control in synchronism with the opening and closing operation of the gate valve in the vicinity of the first to third gate valves 44, 45, 47 is the operation control in the vicinity of the fourth gate valve 48 except that the transfer direction and the delivery direction are different. The explanation is omitted because it is the same.

  When the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 is in operation, the open / close states of the first to fourth gate valves 44, 45, 47, 48 are the following combinations.

  When the cooling body 25 is carried into the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 from the cooling body carry-in / out stand 28, the atmosphere in the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 is opened to the atmosphere, the first gate valve 44 is opened, and the second gate valve 45 is opened. Is closed. When a desired number of cooling bodies 25 are carried into the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 from the cooling body carry-in / out table 28, both the first and second gate valves 44 and 45 are closed. When both the first and second gate valves 44 and 45 are closed, the control device 32 operates the vacuum pump and the inert gas supply unit connected to the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 to operate the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26. Is adjusted to the same atmosphere as the processing chamber 24.

  After adjusting the internal space of the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 to a desired atmosphere, the first gate valve 44 is closed and the second gate valve 45 is opened. In this state, the control device 32 operates the carry-in preparation chamber conveyance means 46, the cooling body delivery means 50, and the processing chamber conveyance means 43 to convey the cooling body 25 from the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 into the processing chamber 24. .

  When the cooling body 25 in which the precipitation plate is generated is carried out from the processing chamber 24 to the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27, both the third and fourth gate valves 47 and 48 are first closed, and the control device 32 The vacuum pump and the inert gas supply means connected to the preparation chamber 27 are operated to adjust the internal space of the cooling body discharge preparation chamber 27 to the same atmosphere as the processing chamber 24. After adjusting the internal space of the cooling body unloading preparation chamber 27 to a desired atmosphere, the third gate valve 47 is closed and the fourth gate valve 48 is opened. In this state, the control device 32 operates the carry-out preparation chamber transfer means 49, the cooling body delivery means 50, and the processing chamber transfer means 43 to transfer the cooling body 25 from the processing chamber 24 into the cooling body discharge preparation chamber 27. . When the desired number of cooling bodies 25 are carried in, both the third and fourth gate valves 47 and 48 are closed.

  Next, the atmosphere in the cooling body unloading preparation chamber 27 is opened to the atmosphere, and after the release to the atmosphere, the third gate valve 47 is opened and the fourth gate valve 48 is closed. With the third gate valve 47 open and the fourth gate valve closed, the control device 32 operates the transfer mechanism of the carry-out preparation chamber transfer means 49, the cooling body delivery means 50, and the cooling body carry-in / out table 28. Then, the cooling body 25 is carried out from the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 to the cooling body carry-in / out table 28.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the processing chamber transfer means 43 will be described. The processing chamber transfer unit 43 includes a horizontal transfer unit 71, a stack transfer unit 72 that is a stack transfer unit, and a transfer stage unit 73.

  First, the horizontal conveyance unit 71 is a roller conveyor extending in the horizontal direction, and is provided with a pair of first and second horizontal conveyance units 71a and 71b. The first horizontal transfer unit 71a is provided to transfer the cooling body 25 received from the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 via the second gate valve 45 to the stack transfer unit 72, and the second horizontal transfer unit 71b is stacked transfer The cooling body 25 received from the section 72 is provided for delivery from the processing chamber 24 to the cooling body unloading preparation chamber 27 via the fourth gate valve 48.

  In the stack transport unit 72, a pair of first stack transport unit 72a and second stack transport unit 72b are provided side by side in the Y direction so as to correspond to the pair of horizontal transport units 71. The first stack transport unit 72a and the second stack transport unit 72b are different only in the transport direction of the cooling body 25 and have the same configuration. Therefore, the first stack transport unit 72a will be described as a representative example.

  The first stack transfer unit 72a extends in the vertical direction and is vertically disposed on both sides of the mutually opposing surfaces of the first and second supports 74a and 74b and the first and second supports 74a and 74b. And an endless metal belt 75 that is rotatably provided, and a metal belt driving means (not shown) that rotates the endless metal belt 75. The endless metal belt 75 rises from the endless metal belt 75, that is, in a state where the endless metal belt 75 is attached to the first and second supports 74a and 74b, A plurality of claw portions 76 are formed so as to protrude from the endless metal belt 75 in the direction in which the second supports 74a and 74b face each other's support.

  The interval at which the first and second support bodies 74 a and 74 b are arranged to face each other and the interval between the claw portions 76 formed on the endless metal belt 75 are the intervals between the claw portions 76. The cooling body 25 that can be inserted and is inserted in the gap between the claw portions 76 is set to a size that can be held by the first and second support bodies 74a and 74b.

  The endless metal belt 75 of the first stack transport unit 72a is received by the first horizontal transport unit 71a so that the cooling body 25 held by the claw unit 76 is rotated from below to above, that is, upward in the vertical direction. The cooled body 25 is conveyed toward the conveyance stage unit 73. On the other hand, the endless metal belt 75 of the second stack conveyance unit 72b is received from the conveyance stage unit 73 by rotating the cooling body 25 held by the claw unit 76 from above to below, that is, downward in the vertical direction. The cooling plate 25 is conveyed toward the 2nd horizontal conveyance part 71b.

  Further, the first stack-like transport section 72a has the number of the cooling bodies 25 held by the claw portions 76 formed on the endless metal belt 75 located in the opposing surfaces of the first and second support bodies 74a and 74b. The number of cooling bodies 25 that can be accommodated in the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 in a full state is increased.

  This makes it possible for the first stack transfer section 72a to function as a buffer for the cooling body 25 during the time when the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 is replaced with nitrogen or an inert gas atmosphere. The cooling body 25 can be transported without any delay. Further, since the stack-like transport unit 72 functioning as a buffer is configured to transport the cooling body 25 in the vertical direction, the entire apparatus is made compact and installed compared to the configuration in which the cooling body 25 is transported in the horizontal direction. The area can be greatly reduced.

  Next, the transfer stage 73 is before and after being immersed by the cooling body carrying-in part 77 which temporarily mounts the cooling body 25 carried in from the 1st stack conveyance part 72a, and the immersion means 30 mentioned later for details. An immersion standby portion 78 for placing the cooling body 25 and a cooling body unloading portion 79 on which the cooling body 25 that is pulled up after being immersed in the melt 21 to generate a precipitation plate is placed for unloading. And a pusher section 80 that moves the cooling body 25 from the cooling body carry-in section 77 to the immersion standby section 78 and moves from the immersion standby section 78 to the cooling body carry-out section 79.

  The pusher portion 80 is provided so as to extend in the Y direction above the cooling body carry-in portion 77, the immersion standby portion 78, and the cooling body carry-out portion 79, and is slidably attached to the pusher shaft member 81. A pair of arm members 82, a pressing member 83 provided at the free end of the arm member 82, and moving means for moving the arm member 82 while guiding the pusher shaft member 81.

  The pair of arm members 82 can hold and hold the cooling body 25 existing between the arm members 82 with the pressing member 83. The cooling body carry-in part 77, the immersion standby part 78, and the cooling body carry-out part 79 are configured to be movable up and down in the Z direction, and the arm member 82 sandwiches the cooling body 25, and the cooling body carry-in part 77 and the immersion The standby part 78 and the cooling body carry-out part 79 move downward as necessary, and the moving means moves the arm member 82 in the direction of the arrow 84, whereby the cooling body 25 is moved from the cooling body carry-in part 77 to the immersion standby part 78. And from the immersion standby section 78 to the cooling body unloading section 79. After moving the cooling body 25 to a desired position, the cooling body 25 can be mounted by moving the cooling body carrying-in part 77, the immersion standby part 78, and the cooling body carrying-out part 79 upward. The pressing member 83 has a pressing projection 85 formed on the surface for pressing the cooling body 25, and the cooling body 25 is moved in the direction of the arrow 84 via the pressing projection 85. The presser protrusion 85 is formed at a position where the lower part of the side surface of the cooling body 25 is pressed. This is because the precipitation plate is generated on the upper surface side of the cooling body 25 that is turned upside down after the immersion treatment described later, and the above position is selected so that the generated precipitation plate is not directly pressed by the pusher portion 80. Is done. As a material of the presser protrusion 85, polyether ether ketone (abbreviated as PEEK) resin or stainless steel, which is excellent in heat resistance, is desirable.

  Although the movement of the cooling body 25 in the transfer stage unit 73 is performed by the pusher unit 80, the transfer of the cooling body 25 from the first stack transfer unit 72 a to the cooling body carry-in unit 77 of the transfer stage unit 73, and the transfer stage unit The cooling body 25 is transported from the cooling body unloading section 79 to the second stack transport section 72b by the first and second transport robots 86a and 86b.

  The first and second transfer robots 86a and 86b are transfer means configured such that an arm having a U-shaped planar shape at the tip end portion is movable in the XZ direction.

  For example, when the cooling body 25 arrives at the uppermost stage of the first stack transfer section 72a, the first transfer robot 86a moves in the X direction by a drive system (not shown) and moves the U-shaped tip portion below the cooling body 25. Is moved upward in the Z direction to hold the cooling body 25 at the tip of the arm, then transported to the cooling body carrying section 77 of the transport stage section 73 in the X direction, and further moved downward in the Z direction. Then, the cooling body 25 is placed on the cooling body carry-in portion 77.

  The first transfer robot 86 a is formed with a holding projection 87 on the surface of the U-shaped tip and holding the bottom surface of the cooling body 25, and the cooling body 25 is moved through the holding projection 87. Hold and transport to transport stage 73. The holding protrusion 87 is preferably made of a material that does not damage the cooling body 25 and has high heat resistance, such as PEEK. Further, since the holding projection 87 is formed, for example, even if foreign matter adheres to the first transfer robot 86a, the cooling body 25 does not come into direct contact with the foreign matter. Conveyance troubles due to foreign matters are avoided.

  The second transfer robot 86b is configured in the same manner as the first transfer robot 86a, and the operation differs only in that the cooling body 25 is transferred from the cooling body unloading section 79 of the transfer stage section 73 to the second stack transfer section 72b. Since there is, explanation is omitted.

  Next, the cooling body 25 placed on the immersion standby section 78 of the transport stage section 73 is collected, immersed in the melt 21 in the crucible 22, and pulled up to generate a precipitation plate on the cooling body 25. Will be described. The immersion means 30 includes a cooling body holding portion 91 that holds the cooling body 25 and an immersion robot portion 92 that has a degree of freedom of three axes (XYZ directions). The immersion robot unit 92 is connected to three drive motors (not shown) and three drive systems, and each has a three-axis freedom of movement in the X-axis direction, movement in the Z-axis direction, and rotation around the Y-axis. The above movement is possible.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the cooling body holding unit 91. The cooling body holding portion 91 includes a holding portion main body 93, a holding arm 94, and a spring member 95. The holding part main body 93 is generally a bottomed cylindrical shape. However, although the internal space is formed in a cylindrical shape at a certain height from the bottom, in the vicinity of the opening 93b, the inner space is formed so that the diameter becomes smaller as the opening 93b is approached. That is, in the cross section passing through the axis 99, the holding portion main body 93 has a tapered portion 100 having a shape in which the side wall facing the internal space approaches the center of the opening 93b as it approaches the opening 93b in the vicinity of the opening 93b. Is formed.

  An end (not shown) of the holding arm 94 is connected to the immersion robot unit 92. An arm insertion hole 96, which is a through hole, is formed in the vicinity of the center of the bottom 93a on the side where the holding arm 94 of the holding part main body 93 is mounted. The end portion of the holding arm 94 is inserted through the arm insertion hole 96, and a spring pressing member 97 that is larger than the arm insertion hole 96 and smaller than the inner diameter of the holding portion main body 93 is attached to the tip end portion 94 a. A cooling body pressing protrusion 98 is formed on the surface of the spring pressing member 97 facing the opening 93b of the holding portion main body 93.

  The spring member 95 is provided between the spring pressing member 97 and the inner surface side of the bottom portion 93 a of the holding portion main body 93. Since the holding arm 94 is slidably inserted into the arm insertion hole 96, the relative position of the spring pressing member 97 provided at the tip of the holding arm 94 with respect to the bottom portion 93 a of the holding portion main body 93 is determined by the spring member 95. It changes according to the amount of elastic displacement.

  The cooling body 25 chucked and held by the holding unit main body 93 has a rectangular planar shape, and the immersion surface 101 on the side immersed in the melt 21 has a flat shape, but the surface opposite to the immersion surface 101. A frustoconical shape 103 is formed on the side 102 (referred to as the back surface 102 for convenience).

  Therefore, when the cooling body 25 is held by the holding portion main body 93, the tapered portion 100 of the holding portion main body 93 forms a groove, and the groove and the presence of the cooling body 25 are fitted. become. When the cooling body 25 is provided 103 and the taper portion 100 of the holding portion main body 93 is fitted to the holding portion main body 93 located in the immersion standby portion 78, the pusher portion 80 is moved from the cooling body carry-in portion 77 to the immersion standby portion 78. The cooling body 25 is moved by sliding.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cooling body holder 91. FIG. 6A shows a state where the cooling body holding portion 91 releases the chuck of the cooling body 25, and FIG. 6B shows a state where the cooling body holding portion 91 chucks the cooling body 25. Note that a member denoted by reference numeral 104 in FIG. 6 is a holding release table provided in the processing chamber 24.

  The holding release base 104 is disposed in the vicinity of the immersion standby unit 78 (specifically, directly below the position when the cooling body holding unit 91 is in the immersion standby unit 78), and is fixedly provided on the wall of the processing chamber 24. .

  In FIG. 6A, when the holding portion main body 93 is placed on the holding release base 104 and the holding arm 94 is further moved downward in this state, the spring member 95 is compressed and deformed. The spring pressing member 97 and the cooling body pressing protrusion 98 of the portion move in a direction approaching the bottom portion 93 a of the holding portion main body 93. As a result, the presence / absence 103 of the cooling body 25 is separated from the tapered portion 100 which is the groove, so that the chuck of the cooling body 25 can be released.

  In FIG. 6B, the holding arm body 93 is moved away from the holding release base 104 by moving the holding arm 94 upward from the state shown in FIG. 6A, so that the spring member 95 is extended and deformed, and the spring presser is moved. The holding portion main body 93 is moved downward with respect to the member 97, in other words, the spring pressing member 97 and the cooling body pressing protrusion 98 move away from the bottom portion 93 a of the holding portion main body 93, and the cooling body 25 is provided. 103 is pressed against the tapered portion 100 to be fitted. As a result, the cooling body 25 is held by the cooling body holding portion 91. That is, when the cooling body holding unit 91 is in the immersion standby unit 78 of the transfer stage unit 73, it is simultaneously on the holding release table 104 and is in a chuck release state, and when it is separated from the immersion standby unit 78, It will leave | separate and the cooling body 25 will be hold | maintained.

  Returning to FIG. 1 again, the immersion means 30 chucks the cooling body 25 sent to the immersion standby section 78 by the pusher section 80 in the transfer stage section 73 by the cooling body holding section 91 and the cooling body holding section 91 holds it. The cooling body 25 is immersed in the melt 21 stored in the crucible 22 by the operation of the immersion robot unit 92. The melt 21 of the semiconductor material is cooled by coming into contact with the immersed cooling body 25, and when the melting point is lower than the melting point, it precipitates on the immersion surface 101 of the cooling body 25 to generate a precipitation plate. After dipping the cooling plate 25 in the melt 21 for a predetermined time, the dipping means 30 pulls up the cooling body 25 from the melt 21, and the cooling body 25 on which the precipitation plate is generated is sent to the dipping standby unit 78 of the transport stage unit 73. Move. Thereafter, the cooling body 25 is detached from the dipping means 30 in the dipping standby section 78 and separated from the dipping means 30, and conveyed to the cooling body carry-out section 79 by the pusher section 80.

  Next, the material replenishing means 31 will be described. When the cooling body 25 is immersed in the melt 21 by the dipping means 30, a precipitation plate is generated on the immersion surface 101 of the cooling body 25, and when the cooling body 25 is pulled up from the melt 21, it is used for generation of the precipitation plate. Since the semiconductor material is taken out from the melt 21 by the amount, the amount of the melt 21 stored in the crucible 22 is reduced. The material replenishing means 31 is a device for replenishing the semiconductor material reduced in the crucible 22.

  The material replenishing means 31 includes a precipitation plate receptor 111 that receives a precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate that is detached from the cooling body 25 that is pulled up after being immersed in the melt 21 of the semiconductor material stored in the crucible 22, and the precipitation plate Deposit detecting means 112 for detecting the volume or weight of the deposit formed on the acceptor 111 or a part of the deposit plate, and the replenishment amount of the semiconductor material according to the detection output of the deposit detecting means 112 A material replenishment amount calculating means 113 for calculating the replenishment amount, a recharging means 114 for recharging the deposit formed on the precipitation plate receiver 111 or a deposit comprising a part of the precipitation plate into the crucible 22, and a material replenishment amount. And a material input unit 115 that inputs a semiconductor material into the crucible 22 according to the calculation result of the calculation unit 113.

  The precipitation plate receptor 111 is a container-like member that receives the precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate that is dropped from the immersion surface 101 of the cooling plate 25 pulled up from the melt 21 by the immersion means 30. Since this precipitation plate receptor 111 is provided above the crucible 22 and below the immersion standby portion 78 and is close to the crucible 22, it is required to have extremely high heat resistance, so it is preferable to use carbon. Further, since the receiver cradle 116 that supports the precipitation plate receiver 111 is also required to have heat resistance, it is preferable to use stainless steel with water-cooled copper piping or a material with excellent heat resistance.

  The receiver cradle 116 is provided with a load cell as a weight detection sensor, and the load cell detects the weight of the deposition plate or a part of the deposition plate deposited on the deposition plate receiver 111. 112 is configured. The detection output of the load cell as the deposit detection means is input to the control device 32. Note that the method for measuring the deposit on the deposition plate receiver 111 is not limited to the load cell, and a method of monitoring the deposit image with a CCD camera and indirectly estimating the deposit by image recognition is used. Also good. However, from the viewpoint of detection accuracy, weight measurement with a load cell is preferred.

  FIG. 7 shows a simplified configuration of the re-input unit 114. The re-feeding means 114 includes a squeegee 117 made of carbon, a squeegee guide member 118 for moving the squeegee 117 substantially parallel to the surface of the deposition plate receiver 111, and the squeegee 117 moved along the squeegee guide member 118. And a squeegee driving unit (not shown). The re-feeding means 114 moves the squeegee 117 on the precipitation plate receiver 111 along the squeegee guide member 118, thereby re-dropping the falling pieces of the precipitation plate deposited on the precipitation plate receiver 111 into the crucible 22. can do.

  The material input unit 115 includes a material continuous supply unit 119, a vessel 120, and a vessel driving unit 121. The material continuous supply unit 119 includes a material storage tank 122 that stores a semiconductor material, a measuring unit 123 that measures a semiconductor material supplied from the material storage tank 122, and a material input chamber 124. The material storage tank 122 is, for example, a stainless steel container, preferably a stainless steel container whose inner surface is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene. The storage amount of the material storage tank 122 is not particularly limited as long as the necessary amount for continuous production can be stored, and the capacity of the present embodiment is 100 kg. The configuration of the weighing unit 123 includes a measurement method using vibration or a measurement method using a load cell. However, the measurement unit 123 is not particularly limited, and any method may be used as long as the measurement accuracy is about several grams. .

  The material charging chamber 124 provided under the measuring unit 123 is a container that can form a sealed space that is cut off from the outside atmospheric space. The material input chamber 124 includes an atmosphere release gate valve 125 provided on the atmosphere side, and a vessel moving gate valve 126 provided at a boundary portion with the processing chamber 24. A vacuum pump (not shown) and nitrogen or inert gas supply means are connected to the material charging chamber 124 by piping, and the inside of the material charging chamber 124 can be adjusted to the same atmosphere as the processing chamber 24.

  The vessel 120 has a bottomed cylindrical container structure made of carbon. The vessel 120 is connected to the vessel driving unit 121. The vessel driving unit 121 is disposed below the material charging chamber 124 and advances and retracts the vessel 120 in the X direction. That is, the vessel 120 is supplied with the semiconductor material after weighing in the position above the crucible 22 and in the material charging chamber 124. The vessel 120 can be reciprocated with the position, and the vessel 120 can be rotated up and down at a position above the crucible 22.

  When the semiconductor material to be replenished is filled into the vessel 120, the vessel driving unit 121 first moves the vessel 120 into the material loading chamber 124, and the vessel moving gate valve 126 is closed. Next, the air release gate valve 125 is opened, and the vessel 120 is filled with a semiconductor material weighed by the metering unit 123 by a necessary amount described later. Further, the semiconductor material filled in the vessel 120 is charged into the crucible 22 as follows. After the air release gate valve 125 is closed and the inside of the material input chamber 124 is replaced with the same atmosphere as that in the processing chamber 24, the vessel moving gate valve 126 is opened, and the vessel driving unit 121 causes the vessel 120 to reach the upper side of the crucible 22. The semiconductor material is moved and further rotated so that the bottom of the vessel 120 faces up, and the semiconductor material in the vessel 120 is put into the crucible 22. Note that the vessel 120 is in a state of being retracted into the material charging chamber 124 except when the semiconductor material is charged.

  With reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 4 described above, a method for calculating the replenishment material dropping amount by the material replenishing means 31 for the crucible 22 will be described.

First, although the accuracy is slightly inferior, a method of calculating the drop amount based on the predetermined replenishment amount and the weight deposited on the deposit plate receiver 111 will be described. In this method, the estimated replenishment weight of the semiconductor material to be replenished every elapse of a predetermined operating time is stored in the memory 35. This estimated replenishment weight is obtained by an empirical rule according to the specifications of the deposited plate to be manufactured. However, in actual operation, the deposition plate or a part thereof is deposited on the deposition plate receptor 111 during a predetermined operation time, and can be reused by re-injecting this deposition. No need to drop everything. Therefore, the weight of the semiconductor material actually dropped by the material feeding means 115 is given by the formula (1).
Dropping amount = estimated replenishment weight-sediment weight (1)

  According to the configuration of the block diagram shown in FIG. 4, the deposit detection means 112 detects the weight of the deposit on the deposition plate receiver 111 for each predetermined operating time, and the control device 32 detects the detection result and the memory 35. Using the estimated replenishment weight read out from (1), the calculation of equation (1) is performed, and the calculation result is output to the material charging means 115. Therefore, the control device 32 constitutes a material replenishment amount calculation means.

  In accordance with the output, the material input unit 115 measures the semiconductor material supplied from the material storage tank 122 by the measuring unit 123 by the weight obtained by the equation (1), and the vessel 120 is in a retracted state in the material input chamber 124. Then, the vessel 120 is driven by the vessel drive unit 121 to introduce the semiconductor material into the crucible 22.

Next, a drop amount calculation method using another number of immersions will be described. In this method, the replenishment required amount is calculated based on the number of immersions. When the cooling body 25 is immersed in the melt 21 once, the weight of the melt taken out from the crucible 22 is constant for each type of precipitation plate to be manufactured. The weight of the semiconductor material deposited on the body 25 and taken out, that is, the replenishment required amount can be calculated. The number of times of immersion from the timing at which the material was replenished last time can be realized by, for example, detecting and integrating the number of times of immersion operation of the immersion means 30 by the immersion number detection means 131. The replenishment required amount is given by (w × n), where n is the number of immersions per predetermined operating time, which is the material replenishment interval, and w is the weight of the deposition plate. Similarly to the above, since the deposit deposited on the deposition plate receptor 111 during a predetermined operation time can be reused, the weight of the semiconductor material actually dropped by the material feeding means 115 is expressed by the formula (2). Given in.
Throw amount = required replenishment amount (w × n) −sediment weight (2)

  According to the configuration of the block diagram shown in FIG. 4, first the material replenishment is performed, and the number of times of immersion in a predetermined operation time is detected by the immersion number detection means 131 and output to the control device 32. The control device 32 calculates the replenishment required amount using the weight per deposition plate stored in the memory 35 in advance and the number of immersions. Next, the control device 32 calculates the drop amount by the equation (2) using the deposit weight detected by the deposit detection means 112 and the replenishment required amount. Again, the control device 32 constitutes a material replenishment amount calculation means. Since the material charging operation after the drop amount is obtained is the same as described above, the description thereof is omitted.

  In addition, it is desirable that the central portion of the crucible 22 is a position where the semiconductor material is charged into the crucible 22 for material replenishment. This is because the induction heating method is used as the heating means of the crucible 22, so that the liquid surface of the melt 21 has a substantially central portion due to the action of magnetic force, and the semiconductor material is supplied to the central portion. This is because the introduced semiconductor material spreads throughout the crucible 22 and is easily dispersed. Thus, the semiconductor material thrown into the crucible 22 is rapidly dispersed, so that the melting of the thrown semiconductor material becomes faster and an increase in production tact can be realized. Depending on the shape of the high-frequency induction heating coil 41 and the like, the convex portion may not be formed in the central portion of the crucible 22, but the charging position may be adjusted so that the charging position becomes the convex portion.

  As another embodiment of the present invention, a configuration may be adopted in which the drop amount for replenishing the semiconductor material is determined based on the liquid level of the melt 21. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of the melt surface height detecting means 132 of the melt 21 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The molten metal surface height detection means 132 receives the light reflected by the molten metal surface and the light emitting element 132 a that emits coherent light toward the molten metal surface of the melt 21, and receives the received light signal to the control device 32. And a light receiving element 132b for output. Examples of the light emitting element 132a include a laser oscillator, and examples of the light receiving element 132b include a CCD camera. By irradiating the molten metal surface with light from the light emitting element 132a and receiving the reflected light from the molten metal surface with the light receiving element 132b, the molten metal surface height of the melt 21 can be detected using the principle of trigonometry.

  Since the inner area of the crucible 22 can be measured in advance, the fluctuation volume of the melt 21 can be known from the fluctuation amount of the molten metal surface height. That is, the necessary amount of replenishment of the semiconductor material can be obtained by detecting the amount of decrease in the molten metal surface height. When the detection output of the molten metal level detection means 132 by the molten metal surface height detecting means 132 is input to the control device 32, the control device 32 calculates the replenishment necessary amount from the memory 35 from the inner area of the crucible 22 and the density of the semiconductor material. To do. The drop amount is calculated according to the above equation (2) using the calculated replenishment required amount. This drop amount is output to the material input means 115, and thereafter, the material input means 115 performs the same operation as described above to replenish the semiconductor material. Thus, the replenishment amount of the semiconductor material can be determined by managing the surface height of the melt 21 stored in the crucible 22.

  Further, by scanning the molten metal surface two-dimensionally using the molten metal surface height detecting means 132, the molten metal surface can be detected at the maximum height and the aforementioned convex portion. For example, by providing an image analysis processing means in the control device 32, it is possible to specify the position of the maximum height obtained by giving two-dimensional coordinates to the molten metal surface and two-dimensionally scanning the molten metal surface.

  The control device 32 moves the vessel 120 to the specified coordinate position, that is, the position where the molten metal surface height is the highest, which is the detection output of the molten metal surface height detecting means 132, so that the semiconductor material is loaded. The operation of the vessel driving unit 121 is controlled. Therefore, the control device 32 functions as a material input position control unit for the material replenishment unit 31.

  Further, by providing the molten metal surface height detecting means 132 and detecting the molten metal surface height of the melt 21, the immersion trajectory of the immersion means 30, particularly the immersion depth which is a vertical trajectory can be corrected. In the operation in which the immersing means 30 immerses the cooling body 25 in the melt 21, the relationship between the melt surface height of the melt 21 in the crucible 22 and the immersion track of the cooling body 25 by the immersing means 30 is very important. In particular, when the thickness of the cooling body 25 varies, the time variation in which the cooling body 25 is immersed in the melt 21 occurs, and thus the thickness of the precipitation plate generated on the immersion surface 101 of the cooling body 25 varies. It will be. Qualitatively, when the depth (Δt) in which the cooling body 25 is immersed in the melt 21 becomes deep (that is, the thickness of the cooling body 25 is thick), the immersion time becomes long and the thickness of the precipitation plate increases. Further, when the depth (Δt) in which the cooling body 25 is immersed in the melt 21 is shallow (that is, the thickness of the cooling body 25 is thin), the immersion time is shortened and the thickness of the precipitation plate is reduced.

  Since variations in the thickness of the precipitation plate have an effect on the properties and quality of the material, it is desirable that the thickness be constant. Therefore, the immersion depth (Δt) needs to be sufficiently managed. Depending on the detection output of the hot water surface height detection means 132 and the above-described cooling body thickness measurement means 53, the immersion trajectory of the immersion means 30, particularly the immersion depth, which is the vertical trajectory, can also be corrected. The control device 32 adjusts the immersion trajectory of the cooling body 25 in the Z direction, that is, the immersion depth (Δt), in accordance with the detection outputs of the molten metal surface height detection means 132 and the cooling body thickness measurement means 53. The operation of the immersion means 30 is controlled. Therefore, the control device 32 functions as an immersion track control means. Since the operation control of the immersion means 30 by the control device 32 is a general known control method, the description thereof is omitted.

  Next, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of the precipitation plate heating means 133. The precipitation plate heating means 133 is provided in the course of moving the cooling body 25 to the immersion standby section 78 after the cooling body 25 is immersed in the melt 21 in the crucible 22 and pulled up, and is generated on the surface of the cooling body 25. It is used to heat the precipitation plate 134. The precipitation plate heating means 133 is, for example, a resistance heating type planar heater. The planar heater 133 has a heating region having a size approximately the same as the plane area of the cooling body 25 and is configured to heat the precipitation plate 134 on the surface of the cooling body 25 pulled up from the melt 21 from below. By providing such a planar heater 133 and heating the precipitation plate 134 immediately after being pulled up, the precipitation plate 134 deposited immediately after the immersion is avoided from being rapidly cooled, and thermal stress due to condensation in the precipitation plate 134 is avoided. Can be prevented or thermal stress can be reduced, so that breakage can be prevented and the production yield can be improved.

  FIG. 10 is a view showing a configuration in which the precipitation plate 134 is heated by the radiant heat of the melt 21 and the crucible 22. The radiant heat of the melt 21 and the crucible 22 may be used as the heating means without providing the precipitation plate heating means 133 shown in FIG. For example, immediately after the cooling body 25 is pulled up from the melt 21, the operation of the dipping means 30 is controlled so that the cooling body 25 temporarily stops above the crucible 22 and the melt 21. Thus, the precipitation plate 134 generated on the surface of the cooling 25 can be heated using the radiant heat from the melt 21 and the crucible 22. According to such a configuration, without requiring special heating means such as a planar heater, the precipitation plate 134 is prevented from being rapidly cooled immediately after being immersed and pulled up, and is prevented from being damaged. Low cost.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another configuration for heating the precipitation plate 134. In the configuration shown in FIG. 11, the operation of the dipping means 30 is controlled so that the cooling body 25 temporarily stops above the high-frequency induction heating coil 41 immediately after the cooling body 25 is pulled up from the melt 21. As a result, the cooling body 25 and the precipitation plate 134 generated on the surface thereof are moved into an alternating magnetic field 135 formed by the high-frequency induction heating coil 41 and a high-frequency power source not shown in FIG. It can be heated with Joule heat that generates a flowing induced current. According to such a configuration, without requiring special heating means such as a planar heater, the precipitation plate 134 is prevented from being rapidly cooled immediately after being immersed and pulled up, and is prevented from being damaged. Low cost.

  In addition, when taking the structure which makes the cooling body 25 heat-generate by the alternating magnetic field 135 by the high frequency induction heating coil 41, it is desirable for the cooling body 25 to be made from carbon from heat resistance and the ease of generation | occurrence | production of an induction current.

  FIG. 12 is a top view, a front view, and a right side view showing a schematic configuration of the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20. Since the detailed operation of each part constituting the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 has been described above, the overall operation related to the precipitation plate manufacturing in the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 will be schematically described together with FIG.

  Each arrow shown in FIG. 12 indicates the moving direction of the cooling body 25, and the overall operation of the apparatus will be described according to the movement of the cooling body 25 indicated by each arrow. At the arrow s 1, the plurality of cooling bodies 25 arranged on the cooling body carry-in / out table 28 are carried into the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26. In this carrying-in process, after carrying the cooling body 25 into the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26, the first and second gate valves 44 and 45 are closed, and the atmosphere in the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 is changed to the atmosphere in the processing chamber 24. To be the same as

  At the arrow s2, the second gate valve 45 is opened, and the cooling body 25 is transferred from the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber 26 to the first stack transfer section 72a in the processing chamber 24. At arrow s3, the cooling body 25 is transferred from the first stack transfer section 72a to the cooling body carry-in section 77 of the transfer stage section 73 as a single sheet. At arrow s 4, the cooling body 25 is transferred from the cooling body carry-in section 77 to the immersion standby section 78 in a single sheet in the transfer stage section 73.

  At the arrow s5, the cooling body 25 in the immersion standby section 78 moves to a position where the immersion means 30 can start immersion in the melt 21 in the crucible 22. At the arrow s 6, the cooling body 25 is immersed in the melt 21 in the crucible 22 by the immersing means 30, then pulled up, and further moved to the immersion standby unit 78. In the course of this step, a process for heating the precipitation plate 134 may be performed. At arrow s7, the cooling body 25 in the immersion standby part 78 is transferred to the cooling body carrying-out part 79 in a single sheet.

  At the arrow s8, the cooling body 25 is transferred from the cooling body carry-out section 79 to the second stack conveyance section 72b as a single sheet. At the arrow s9, the cooling body 25 held in the second stack transfer section 72b is transferred to the cooling body unloading preparation chamber 27 by opening the fourth gate valve 48. At this time, the atmosphere in the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 is adjusted to be the same as the atmosphere in the processing chamber 24. At the arrow s10, the third and fourth gate valves 47 and 48 are both closed to release the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27 to the atmosphere, and then the third gate valve 47 is opened to bring the cooling body 25 into the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber. 27 to the cooling body loading / unloading table 28.

  The operations related to the production of these precipitation plates are also executed by the control device 32 controlling the operation of each part in accordance with the operation control program stored in the memory 35 and the operation condition data of each part of the device.

It is a perspective view which simplifies and shows the structure of the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the structure of the conveyance means 29 with which the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating the configuration of a cooling body delivery means 64 provided in the vicinity of the fourth gate valve 48 of the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber 27. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure which concerns on operation | movement control of the deposit plate manufacturing apparatus 20 by the control apparatus 32. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a cooling body holding unit 91. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the cooling body holding | maintenance part 91. FIG. A simplified configuration of the re-input unit 114 is shown. It is a figure which simplifies and shows the structure of the hot_water | molten_metal surface height detection means 132 of the melt 21 which is other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which simplifies and shows the structure of the precipitation plate heating means 133. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure which heats the precipitation plate by the radiant heat of the melt and the crucible. It is a figure which shows another structure which heats the precipitation plate. It is the top view, front view, and right view which show schematic structure of the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20. FIG. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the conventional depositing plate manufacturing apparatus 1. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Precipitation plate production apparatus 21 Melt of semiconductor material 22 Crucible 23 Heating means 24 Processing chamber 25 Cooling body 26 Cooling body carry-in preparation room 27 Cooling body carry-out preparation room 28 Cooling body carry-in / out stand 29 Transport means 30 Immersion means 31 Material replenishing means 32 Control Device 33 Power Supply Panel 41 High Frequency Induction Heating Coil 42 High Frequency Power Supply 44, 45, 47, 48 Gate Valve 50 Cooling Body Delivery Means 53 Cooling Body Thickness Measurement Means 67 Falling Object Receiving Cover 71 Horizontal Conveying Unit 72 Stack Conveying Unit 73 Conveying Stage Part 111 Precipitation plate receptor 112 Deposit detection means 113 Material replenishment amount calculation means 114 Reloading means 115 Material injection means 131 Immersion frequency detection means 132 Hot water surface height detection means 133 Precipitation plate heating means 134 Precipitation plate

Claims (14)

In a deposition plate manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a deposition plate of a metal material or a semiconductor material on the surface of the cooling body by immersing and pulling up a cooling body in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material,
A container for storing a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material;
Heating means for heating the container and the metal or semiconductor material in the container;
A processing chamber for storing the container in the internal space;
A cooling body carry-in preparation chamber connected to the processing chamber and containing a cooling body for carrying into the processing chamber;
A cooling body carry-out preparation chamber connected to the processing chamber and containing a cooling body for carrying out of the processing chamber;
Conveying means for carrying the cooling body from the external space to the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the processing chamber, and carrying the cooling body from the processing chamber to the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber and the external space;
Immersion means for immersing and pulling up the cooling body in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material stored in a container;
And a material replenishing means for replenishing the container with a metal material or a semiconductor material before being melted. The cooling body carry-in preparation room and the cooling body carry-out preparation room are:
The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus is connected to the same side of the processing chamber and provided substantially in parallel. The cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber each include a gate valve that can be opened and closed at a connection portion with the processing chamber and a portion facing the external space on the opposite side.
The cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber are provided with a cooling body delivery means for delivering the cooling body between the processing chamber and the external space and the cooling body carry-in preparation chamber and the cooling body carry-out preparation chamber,
3. The deposition according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling body delivery operation control means for controlling the operation of the cooling body delivery means so that the delivery operation of the cooling body delivery means is synchronized with the opening / closing operation of the gate valve. Board manufacturing equipment. In the cooling body delivery means provided at least in the cooling body unloading preparation chamber,
4. A deposition plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a falling plate receiving means for receiving a falling precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate which is peeled off from the cooling body. The transport means is
The apparatus for producing a precipitation plate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a stack conveying unit that holds a plurality of cooling bodies in the processing chamber and can convey the cooling bodies in the vertical direction. Material replenishment means
A precipitation plate receptor for receiving a precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate that is detached from a cooling body pulled up after being immersed in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material stored in a container;
Deposit detection means for detecting the volume or weight of the deposit comprising the deposit plate or a portion of the deposit plate deposited on the deposit plate receiver;
A material replenishment amount calculating means for calculating a replenishment amount of the metal material or semiconductor material according to the detection output of the deposit detection means;
Re-injection means for re-introducing into the container a deposit consisting of a precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate deposited on the precipitation plate receptor;
The apparatus for producing a precipitation plate according to claim 1, further comprising: a material loading unit that loads a metal material or a semiconductor material into the container according to a calculation result of the material replenishment amount calculation unit. Material replenishment means
A precipitation plate receptor for receiving a precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate that is detached from a cooling body pulled up after being immersed in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material stored in a container;
Deposit detection means for detecting the volume or weight of the deposit comprising the deposit plate or a portion of the deposit plate deposited on the deposit plate receiver;
Immersion number detection means for detecting the number of times the cooling body is immersed in the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container by the immersion means;
A material replenishment amount calculating means for calculating a replenishment amount of the metal material or the semiconductor material according to the detection outputs of the deposit detection means and the immersion number detection means,
Re-injection means for re-introducing into the container a deposit consisting of a precipitation plate or a part of the precipitation plate deposited on the precipitation plate receptor;
The apparatus for producing a precipitation plate according to claim 1, further comprising: a material loading unit that loads a metal material or a semiconductor material into the container according to a calculation result of the material replenishment amount calculation unit. Further comprising a hot water surface height detecting means for detecting the liquid surface height of the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container,
Material replenishment means
In accordance with the detection output of the molten metal surface height detecting means, it is provided with a material loading position control means for controlling the operation of the material loading means so that a metal material or a semiconductor material is loaded at a position where the molten metal surface height is the highest. The precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7. Including a cooling body thickness measuring means for measuring the thickness of the cooling body,
The immersion track control means for controlling a track for immersing the cooling body in a melt of a metal material or a semiconductor material stored in a container according to a detection output of the cooling body thickness measuring means. The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus as described in any one of 1-8. Further comprising a hot water surface height detecting means for detecting the liquid surface height of the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container,
Immersion trajectory control means for controlling the trajectory in which the immersion means immerses the cooling body in the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container according to the detection outputs of the molten metal surface height detection means and the cooling body thickness measurement means. The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, comprising: The heating means
The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a high-frequency induction heating coil and a high-frequency power source.   The deposition plate heating means for heating the deposition plate formed on the surface of the cooling body pulled up after being immersed in the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container is included. The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus as described in any one. Immersion means
Radiation heat by moving the precipitation plate formed on the surface of the cooling body pulled up after being immersed in the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container so as to be positioned above the container and / or the melt The apparatus for producing a precipitation plate according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the apparatus is heated by heating. The cooling body is made of carbon,
Immersion means
The precipitation plate formed on the surface of the cooling body pulled up after being immersed in the melt of the metal material or semiconductor material stored in the container is moved into an alternating magnetic field formed by the high frequency induction heating coil and the high frequency power source. The precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the heating is performed by heating.

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