JP2007073635A - Equipment and method for manufacturing deposited plate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide deposited plate manufacturing equipment and deposited plate manufacturing method which prevents a bad influence on the production of a deposited plate, by appropriately treating the fragments of the deposited plate due to self-destruction of the deposited plate coagulated and deposited on the surface of a cooled material. <P>SOLUTION: Silicon is heated by a melting furnace 24 into a melt 23. Then, the cooled material 25 which is an original plate for manufacturing the deposited plate is dipped into the melt by means of a dipping means 27, and then is pulled out of the melt to make the silicon coagulate and deposit on the surface of the cooled body, thus fabricating a sheet-like silicon 48. In fabricating the sheet-like silicon, a bucket 27 is arranged in the middle of a transfer path wherein the cooled material 25 is transferred in a direction of going away from the position above the melt. The bucket 27 receives the sheet-like silicon when it separates and falls away from the cooled material. The falling object received by the bucket is moved to the side having a larger storage capacity within the bucket by means of a falling object moving means 28, and then is put into the melting furnace by a falling object rethrowing means 29 if necessary. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus and a precipitation plate manufacturing method.

  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 solar cells, and polycrystalline silicon is used as a material for the solar cells.

  As a conventional representative technique for producing polycrystalline silicon used in solar cells, high-purity silicon to which a dopant such as phosphorus (P) or boron (B) is added is heated and melted in a crucible in an inert gas atmosphere. There is a casting method in which this melt is poured into a mold and cooled to obtain a polycrystalline ingot (see Patent Document 1).

  The sheet-like silicon used for the solar cell is manufactured by cutting the polycrystalline ingot obtained as described above into small blocks with a band saw or the like, and further slicing with a wire saw or an inner peripheral blade method.

  In addition to the casting process for obtaining a polycrystalline silicon ingot, such a manufacturing method requires a process of cutting into an outer block size of sheet-like silicon and a slicing process of slicing to a sheet thickness requiring high cost, In addition, this slicing step is a major obstacle to reducing the manufacturing cost of solar cells, such as causing material loss that is greater than the thickness of the wire or inner peripheral blade.

  The conventional technology that solves these problems proposes a method for manufacturing sheet-like silicon that eliminates the slicing step, immerses the cooling body in molten silicon, and adheres and solidifies and deposits silicon on the sheet generation surface of the cooling body. (For example, see Patent Documents 2 to 4).

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a simplified configuration of a deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 1 used for manufacturing conventional sheet-shaped silicon, and FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an outline of sheet-shaped silicon manufacturing in the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 1. Hereinafter, a sheet-like silicon manufacturing method in which a cooling body is immersed in molten silicon and silicon is attached to a sheet generation surface of the cooling body and solidified and precipitated will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

  In this background art, an example of producing a sheet-shaped silicon using a deposition plate manufacturing apparatus will be described. However, the background art of the present invention is not limited to the production of a sheet-shaped silicon. It can also be used in the production of sheet-like semiconductors or metal plates.

  In the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 1, a melting furnace 4 is disposed in a processing space 3 formed by a chamber 2. The melting furnace 4 is provided with a crucible 5, and a molten metal 6 obtained by heating and melting silicon is accommodated in the crucible 5. In the processing space 3, immersion means 8 for immersing the cooling body 7 in the molten metal 6 is provided.

  The dipping means 8 can hold the cooling body 7 carried into the processing space 3 through a cooling body carry-in port 9 formed on one side wall of the chamber 2 by a transfer device (not shown). The dipping means 8 conveys the cooling body 7 to be held in the direction indicated by the arrow 15, that is, from the vicinity of the cooling body carry-in port 9 to a position above the molten metal 6 accommodated in the crucible 5, soaked in the molten metal 6, and cooled Silicon is solidified and deposited on the surface of the body 7. Thereafter, the dipping means 8 pulls the cooling body 7 and the sheet-like silicon 11 generated on the surface of the cooling body 7 from the molten metal 6 and further moves away from the position above the molten metal 6, that is, the cooling body 8. It conveys toward the cooling body carry-out port 10 formed in the side wall opposite to the one side wall where the carry-in port 9 is formed, and passes through the cooling body carry-out port 10 to a conveyance device (not shown). The control device 14 controls the operation of each part of the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 1.

  When the above series of operations for manufacturing the sheet-like silicon is repeated a plurality of times, the molten metal 6 accommodated in the crucible 5 provided in the melting furnace 4 is reduced, and the manufacture of the sheet-like silicon 11 is hindered. In that case, the production of the sheet-like silicon 11 is temporarily stopped, and additional silicon is introduced into the crucible 5 from the outside of the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 1 by a silicon melting material adding apparatus (not shown) and melted. Top up with molten metal.

  In such a method used in the prior art, the cooling body 7 is immersed in the molten silicon melt 6 and then pulled out of the molten metal 6, so that the sheet-like silicon 11 deposited on the surface of the cooling body 7 is It is inevitable that large internal stress is included due to a rapid temperature change during the precipitation and the subsequent cooling process.

  When the size of the sheet-like silicon is a certain value or more, a large stress generated inside the sheet-like silicon deposited on the surface of the cooling body may destroy the sheet-like silicon. On the other hand, when the size of the sheet-like silicon is relatively small, the generation of internal stress is not a big problem. In general, when the size of the sheet-like silicon is a rectangle having a side of 100 mm or less, almost no damage due to internal stress occurs.

  However, in recent years, the size of sheet-like silicon for solar cells tends to increase. For example, the sheet-like silicon used in currently produced polycrystalline solar cells has a rectangular shape with a side of about 150 mm. is there. When such a large-sized sheet-like silicon is produced by immersing the cooling body in a molten silicon as described above, the destruction of the sheet-like silicon due to internal stress occurs with a relatively high probability.

  11 and 12 are views showing a state in which the sheet-like silicon is destroyed by internal stress. The pieces 11a of the sheet-like silicon 11 destroyed by the internal stress are detached from the cooling body 7 and dropped, and are deposited around the melting furnace 4 for melting silicon. When the pieces 11a of the sheet-like silicon 11 that are broken and accumulated increase, the sheet-like silicon 11 generated on the surface of the cooling body 7 due to the cooling body 7 or solidification precipitation comes into contact with the sheet-like silicon 11 and becomes a factor that inhibits the production of the sheet-like silicon.

  As a method of solving such a problem, the sheet-like silicon fragments 11a deposited by destruction before the sheet-like silicon fragments 11a are obstructing the production of the sheet-like silicon. 1 may be discharged to the outside. However, in the manufacture of sheet-like silicon, the processing space 3 inside the chamber 2 is normally kept in a sealed inert gas atmosphere, so that deposition is performed while maintaining the environment of the inert gas atmosphere in the processing space 3. In order to discharge the sheet-like silicon fragments 11a to the outside of the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 1, it is necessary to provide a dedicated load lock chamber and a gate valve. This dedicated load lock chamber is a kind of vacuum chamber, which causes a problem of a significant increase in apparatus cost and an increase in apparatus installation area.

  Also, for the purpose of preventing the self-destruction of such solidified and deposited sheet-like silicon, the cooling body is shaped so that the internal stress generated in the sheet-like silicon is dispersed, or even if the sheet-like silicon is self-destructed Although a method such as providing a fragile part on the outside of the product dimension in advance is considered so that the product can be obtained, it is difficult to prevent self-destruction completely, and a sheet-like shape that still occurs Proper treatment of silicon debris is an important solution.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-64913 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-29895 JP 2002-175996 A JP 2003-59849 A

  An object of the present invention is to appropriately treat fragments caused by self-destruction of a precipitation plate produced by solidification and precipitation on the surface of a cooling body, and to prevent a negative effect on the production of the precipitation plate and the production of the precipitation plate Is to provide a method.

The present invention heats the object to be melted to form a molten metal, a melting furnace for housing the molten metal, and a cooling body that is a master plate for producing a precipitation plate is transported to an upper position of the molten metal, immersed in the molten metal, And a dipping means for producing a precipitation plate by solidifying and precipitating the object to be melted on the surface of the cooling body.
Falling object receiving means that is provided in the middle of the transport path in which the cooling body is transported in a direction away from the molten metal upper position, and receives falling objects that fall off the cooling body;
A falling object moving means for moving the falling object received by the falling object receiving means in a direction away from the melting furnace in the falling object receiving means;
A depositing plate manufacturing apparatus including falling object re-introducing means for moving falling objects received by the falling object receiving means into the melting furnace.

In the present invention, the fallen object receiving means is
To the vicinity of the end of the transfer path where the receiving surface for receiving the fallen object is higher than the level of the molten metal contained in the melting furnace and the cooling body is transferred away from the upper position of the molten metal It is characterized by being provided below the extended conveyance path.

In the present invention, the fallen object receiving means is
The receiving surface that receives the fallen object is inclined so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as it is farther from the melting furnace, and the capacity of the receiving part that includes the receiving surface becomes larger as it is farther from the melting furnace. It is formed so that it may become.

  In the present invention, the falling object receiving means is characterized in that at least a part of the receiving surface for receiving the falling object is made of carbon or quartz.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that the falling object moving means includes a tilting means for tilting the falling object receiving means so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the receiving surface for receiving the falling object becomes farther from the melting furnace. .

In the present invention, the falling object receiving means is inclined so that the receiving surface for receiving the falling object becomes farther from the melting furnace so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower,
The falling object moving means includes a vibration feeder that vibrates at least a receiving surface that receives the falling object.

  According to the present invention, the fallen object re-introducing means includes tilting means for tilting the fallen object receiving means so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the fallen object receiving surface of the fallen object receiving means approaches the melting furnace. Features.

In the present invention, the object to be melted is heated in a melting furnace to form a molten metal, and a cooling body, which is an original sheet for producing a precipitation plate, is conveyed to an upper position of the molten metal housed in the melting furnace, immersed in the molten metal, It is a precipitation plate manufacturing method for manufacturing a precipitation plate by solidifying and precipitating the object to be melted on the surface of the cooling body by transporting in a direction away from the upper position of the melt by pulling up from
Receiving the fallen object falling off the cooling body while being transported in the direction in which the cooling body is separated from the upper position of the molten metal;
Moving the received fallen object away from the melting furnace;
And a step of moving the received fallen object into the melting furnace.

  According to the present invention, the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus includes a falling object receiving means for receiving a falling object falling from the cooling body, and a direction in which the falling object received by the falling object receiving means is moved away from the melting furnace in the falling object receiving means. Falling object moving means for moving the falling object and falling object re-introducing means for moving the falling object received by the falling object receiving means into the melting furnace. By this, when the precipitation plate generated by solidification and precipitation on the surface of the cooling body is self-destructed and falls off the cooling body, the falling object is received, and the falling object is temporarily melted in the falling object receiving means. After moving in a direction away from the melting furnace, it is possible to move the molten metal into the melting furnace when filling the material, and it is possible to prevent the deposition of fragments of the precipitation plate around the melting furnace. The adverse effect on the production of the precipitation plate can be minimized.

  Further, according to the present invention, the falling object receiving means is configured such that the receiving surface that receives the falling object is positioned higher than the liquid level of the molten metal accommodated in the melting furnace, and the cooling body is separated from the upper position of the molten metal. It extends to the vicinity of the end of the transport path that is transported in the direction in which it travels, and is provided below the transport path. As a result, falling objects falling around the melting furnace can be reliably received without leaking, and when the received falling objects are re-entered into the melting furnace, they are easily charged using the action of gravity. be able to.

  Further, according to the present invention, the falling object receiving means is such that the receiving surface for receiving the falling object is inclined such that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the distance from the melting furnace decreases, and the receiving part including the receiving surface includes: The farther away from the melting furnace, the larger the volume for accommodating fallen objects. Thus, the received fallen object can be reliably accommodated in the fallen object receiving means without dropping to the melting furnace side.

  Further, according to the present invention, the falling object receiving means can avoid contamination of impurities such as heavy metals in the received falling object because at least a part of the receiving surface for receiving the falling object is made of carbon or quartz. The quality of the deposited plate can be kept high.

  According to the invention, the falling object moving means includes tilting means for tilting the falling object receiving means so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the receiving surface for receiving the falling object is farther from the melting furnace. The This makes it easy to move the fallen object away from the melting furnace with the simple action of tilting the receiving surface of the fallen object receiving means that receives the fallen object so that the position in the vertical direction decreases as the distance from the melting furnace increases. Can be made.

  Further, according to the present invention, the falling object receiving means is inclined so that the receiving surface for receiving the falling object becomes lower in the vertical direction as the distance from the melting furnace is increased, and the falling object moving means receives at least the falling object. Since the vibration feeder that vibrates the receiving surface is included, the falling object can be moved in a direction away from the melting furnace by a simple operation of vibrating the receiving surface with the vibration feeder.

  According to the invention, the fallen object re-introducing means includes tilting means for tilting the fallen object receiving means so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the fallen object receiving surface of the fallen object receiving means is closer to the melting furnace. Therefore, the fallen object can be moved into the melting furnace by a simple operation of driving the tilting means.

  Further, according to the present invention, when the precipitation plate formed by solidification and precipitation on the surface of the cooling body self-destructs and falls off the cooling body, the falling object is received and the received falling object is moved away from the melting furnace. By moving in the direction and moving the fallen material received into the melting furnace, the fragments of the precipitation plate are prevented from accumulating around the melting furnace, and the deposition of the fragments has an adverse effect on the production of the precipitation plate. There is provided a method for producing a precipitation plate capable of minimizing this.

  FIG. 1 is a top view schematically showing a configuration of a precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing an outline of precipitation plate manufacturing by the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing seen from the direction.

  The precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 heats the object to be melted in the melting furnace 24 to make the molten metal 23, soaks the cooling body 25, which is the original plate for producing the precipitation plate, into the molten metal 23, and pulls it up from the molten metal 23. This is used for producing a precipitation plate by solidifying and precipitating an object on the surface of the cooling body 25. In the present embodiment, a case where silicon is used as the object to be dissolved and silicon is solidified and deposited on the surface of the cooling body 25 to produce sheet-like silicon that is a precipitation plate will be exemplified.

  The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 is generally provided in a chamber 21 and a processing space 22 that is an internal space formed by the chamber 21. The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 heats silicon that is an object to be melted into a molten metal 23 and accommodates the molten metal 23. In a direction in which the melting furnace 24 and the cooling body 25 that is a sheet-form silicon generating original plate are transported to the upper position of the molten metal 23, immersed in the molten metal 23, pulled up from the molten metal 23, and separated from the upper position of the molten metal 23. The immersing means 26 to be conveyed and the cooling body 25 are provided in the middle of the conveying path where the cooling body 25 is moved away from the upper position of the molten metal, and accepts fragments of the sheet-like silicon 48 that are fallen objects that fall off the cooling body 25 and fall. Falling object receiving means 27, falling object moving means 28 for moving the falling object received by the falling object receiving means 27 in a direction away from the melting furnace 24 in the falling object receiving means 27, A configuration including a falling object cycled means 29 for moving the falling object to be received by the lower product receiving means 27 to the melting furnace 24.

The chamber 21 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped appearance and is a hollow structure. The chamber 21 is provided with a heat insulating and fireproof structure, although a heat insulating material such as alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ) is lined, although not shown in a steel casing. The chamber 21 is provided with an unillustrated evacuation unit and an inert gas supply unit, so that the processing space 22 of the chamber 21 can be maintained in a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere.

  Also, on one side wall 21 a of the chamber 21, a cooling body carry-in port for delivering the cooling body 25 between a transfer device (not shown) outside the chamber 21 and an immersion means 26 in the processing space 22. 31 is formed. The cooling body carry-in port 31 is provided with an openable / closable door (not shown), and further provided with a sub chamber chamber outside the door. The sub chamber is configured so that the atmosphere can be adjusted in the same manner as the chamber 21, and a door that can be opened and closed is provided on the side opposite to the cooling body carry-in port 31. Therefore, the cooling body 25 transported to the chamber 21 by the transport device is first carried into the sub chamber chamber opened to the atmosphere, and after the atmosphere inside the sub chamber chamber is adjusted, it is further cooled by the transport means provided in the sub chamber chamber. It passes to the immersion means 26 through the body inlet 31.

  On the other side wall 21 b facing the one side wall 21 a of the chamber 21, a cooling body outlet 32 for carrying the cooling body 25 out of the chamber 21 is formed at a position facing the cooling body inlet 31. .

  In order to carry the cooling body 25 transported in the processing space 22 below the transport path of the cooling body 25 and in the vicinity of the lower end portion of the cooling body transporting port 32 into the processing space 22 from the cooling body transporting port 32. A delivery unit 33 is provided for receiving from the dipping means 26 and delivering it to another conveying means outside the chamber 21. The cooling body outlet 32 is also provided with an openable / closable door and a sub chamber chamber outside thereof. The cooling body 25 having the sheet-like silicon 48 once placed on the delivery section 33 from the dipping means 26 is delivered to another transport means through the sub chamber chamber.

  In the present embodiment, the melting furnace 24 is a high-frequency induction melting furnace, in which silicon as a melting object is charged and melted, and a crucible 34 in which the molten metal 23 is accommodated, and a high-frequency wound around the crucible 34. It includes an induction coil 35, a crucible 34 and a furnace container 36 that accommodates the high-frequency induction coil 35, and a high-frequency power source (not shown).

  The crucible 34 is a bottomed rectangular parallelepiped container made of, for example, graphite. The furnace body container 36 is a bottomed rectangular parallelepiped container which is made of, for example, refractory bricks and is substantially similar to the crucible 34. The space between the furnace vessel 36 and the crucible 34 and the high-frequency induction coil 35 is a gap in the figure, but is actually filled with a heat-insulating and insulating refractory. The melting furnace 24 is installed on the bottom plate 21 c of the chamber 21 in the processing space 22. The melting furnace 24 is a device that utilizes the fact that an induction current is generated in a graphite crucible 34 and silicon in the crucible 34 by flowing a high-frequency current from a high-frequency power source to a high-frequency induction coil 35 and generates heat by itself.

  The dipping means 26 includes a holding head 41 that holds the cooling body 25, a vertical arm 42 that is provided with the holding head 41 and extends in the vertical direction, a vertical drive unit 43 that moves the vertical arm 42 in the vertical direction, A horizontal drive unit 44 that moves the vertical arm 42 and the holding head 41 in the horizontal direction and a track member 45 that the horizontal drive unit 44 travels in the horizontal direction are included.

  The track member 45 is an elongated member made of, for example, metal, and is mounted on the side wall adjacent to both the one side wall 21a and the other side wall 21b in the processing space 22 or the top plate of the chamber 21, and above the crucible 34. The space is provided so as to extend from the cooling body carry-in port 31 toward the cooling body carry-out port 32. The horizontal drive unit 44 is guided by, for example, a groove-shaped track formed in the track member 45, and moves the vertical arm 42 and the holding head 41 so as to be able to advance and retract in the horizontal direction.

  The vertical drive unit 43 moves so as to approach and separate from the molten metal 23 accommodated in the crucible 34 when the vertical arm 42 and the holding head 41 attached to the vertical arm 42 are positioned in the vertical direction, that is, above the crucible 34. Can be made.

  The holding head 41 attached to the vertical arm 42 has a handling mechanism, and can hold and release the cooling body 25 by the operation of the handling mechanism.

  Therefore, the immersion means 26 can perform the following operations. In the dipping means 26, the vertical arm 42 and the holding head 41 are moved to the vicinity of the cooling body inlet 31 by the operation of the horizontal driving unit 44, receive the cooling body 25 through the cooling body inlet 31, and hold it by the holding head 41. Then, by the operation of the horizontal driving unit 44 again, the horizontal drive unit 44 moves from the cooling body carry-in port 31 which is the direction indicated by the arrow 46 in FIG. Further, the dipping means 26 lowers the vertical arm 42 by the operation of the vertical drive unit 43 to immerse the cooling body 25 held by the holding head 41 into the molten metal 23 accommodated in the crucible 34, so that silicon is cooled by the cooling body 25. Solidify and precipitate on the surface of

  After the silicon is solidified and deposited on the surface of the cooling body 25, the cooling body 25 is conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow 47 in FIG. That is, the vertical arm 42 is raised again by the operation of the vertical drive unit 43 to pull up the cooling body 25 from the molten metal 23, move from the upper position of the crucible 34 toward the cooling body outlet 32, and solidify and precipitate on the delivery unit 33. The cooling body 25 having the sheet-like silicon 48 is temporarily placed, and the cooling body 25 is delivered through the cooling body outlet 32.

  The fallen object receiving means 27 of the present embodiment is a member formed in a bucket shape. Therefore, the falling object receiving means 27 is sometimes referred to as a bucket 27 here. The bucket 27 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the top surface, and a shape when viewed from the side surface is a combination of a triangle and a rectangle. The bucket 27 includes a bottom plate 27a, a back plate 27b, and two first and second side plates 27c1 and 27c2 that are connected to the bottom plate 27a and the back plate 27b to form side walls. The bottom plate 27a includes a horizontal bottom plate 27a1 whose shape viewed from the side forms the bottom of the rectangular portion, and an inclined bottom plate 27a2 whose shape viewed from the side configures the bottom of the triangular portion.

  The bottom plate 27a of the bucket 27 constitutes a receiving surface for falling objects that fall off the cooling body 25. Here, the fallen object is a piece of the sheet-like silicon 48 that has detached from the cooling body 25. In the bucket 27, a bottom plate 27a as a receiving surface is formed of carbon or quartz. The back plate 27b of the bucket 27 and the first and second side plates 27c1 and 27c2 are also preferably formed of carbon or quartz. By being formed of carbon or quartz, impurities such as heavy metals can be avoided from falling pieces of the sheet-like silicon 48, so that the quality of the produced precipitation plate can be kept high.

  The bucket 27 serving as the fallen object receiving means has a length in a direction in which the cooling body 25 is transported so as to extend from a position covering the periphery of the crucible 34 to the vicinity where the delivery portion 33 serving as a terminal portion of the transport path is provided. In addition, the dimension (width dimension) in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the cooling body 25 is conveyed is formed to be approximately the same as the dimension on the short side of the crucible 34.

  In the steady state, the bucket 27 has a bottom plate 27a so that at least the horizontal bottom plate 27a1 of the bottom plate 27a, which is a receiving surface for receiving fallen objects, is positioned higher than the liquid level of the molten metal 23 accommodated in the melting furnace 34. The inclined bottom plate 27a2 is provided so as to be inclined so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the distance from the melting furnace 34 increases. The volume in which the bucket 27 can receive and accommodate the pieces of the sheet-like silicon 48 that has dropped is larger as it is farther from the melting furnace 34, that is, the side shape closer to the melting furnace 34 is more than the rectangular part. The side shape far from the melting furnace 34 is formed so that the triangular portion is larger.

  The bucket 27 is provided with fallen object moving means 28 for moving debris received in the bucket 27 in a direction away from the melting furnace 34 in the bucket 27. The fallen object moving means 28 of the present embodiment is a first tilting means 28 that tilts the bucket 27.

  The bucket 27 is supported at a connecting portion where the inclined bottom plate 27a2 and the back plate 27b are connected to each other so as to be angularly displaceable by a rotating frame member 65 of the fallen object re-introducing means 29, which will be described in detail later, and forms a hinge structure 51. Since this hinge structure 51 part becomes a fulcrum when the bucket 27 tilts, it is called a fulcrum hinge part 51 for convenience. The bucket 27 is fitted with the first tilting means 28 so as to have a hinge structure 52 at the end of the bucket 27 facing the outside of the back plate 27b. As the first tilting means 28, for example, a unit including a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder and piston is preferably used. This hinge structure 52 portion is referred to as a tilt hinge portion 52 for convenience.

  On the opposite side of the tilting hinge portion 52 of the first tilting means 28, a hinge structure is formed on the free end portion 53a of the support plate 53 formed so as to extend from the rotary frame member 65 in the horizontal direction toward the side wall 21b of the chamber 21. It is mounted as if it has.

  The first tilting means 28 is such that the position of the bucket 27 in the vertical direction becomes lower as the bucket 27 is in a steady state, that is, the horizontal bottom plate 27a1 of the bottom plate 27a is parallel to the horizontal plane, and the inclined bottom plate 27a2 of the bottom plate 27a is farther from the melting furnace 24. The piston rod 28b is extended from the cylinder 28a. Therefore, when the piston rod 28b of the first tilting means 28 is driven to retract into the cylinder 28a, that is, when moved in the direction of the arrow 54 in FIG. 2, the bucket 27 uses the fulcrum hinge 51 as a fulcrum. The 27 horizontal bottom plates 27a1 are angularly displaced in a direction away from the crucible 34 (clockwise toward the plane of FIG. 2).

  As the bucket 27 moves angularly in the clockwise direction, the horizontal bottom plate 27a1 is inclined so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the distance from the melting furnace 24 becomes lower, and the position in the vertical direction becomes smaller as the inclined bottom plate 27a2 becomes farther from the melting furnace 24. Slope deeply to be even lower. As a result, the fallen object received by the bucket 27 can be moved away from the melting furnace 24 in the bucket 27, that is, can be moved to the side having a large accommodation volume having a substantially triangular cross section. Therefore, it is possible to reliably store the fallen material received by the bucket 27 without dropping it toward the melting furnace 24 and to store a considerable amount in a portion where the volume of the bucket 27 is large.

  In the present embodiment, the fallen object re-introducing means 29 is a second tilting means for tilting the bucket 27 so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the bottom plate 27a which is the fallen object receiving surface of the bucket 27 is closer to the melting furnace 24. 61 and its drive source 62 are comprised.

  The second tilting means 61 rotates on the base plate 63, the rotation support portion 64 provided on the base plate 63, the rotating frame member 65 rotatably supported by the rotation support portion 64, and the base plate 63. A support protrusion 66 formed at a position facing the support portion 64 and a balancer 67 are included. A pair of second tilting means 61 are provided on both sides of the bucket 27 in the width direction, but are configured identically except that they are symmetrical with respect to the bucket 27. Therefore, only one of the second tilting means 61 will be described as a representative.

  The base plate 63 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped metal plate member, and is installed on the bottom plate 21 c of the chamber 21 so as to extend in the conveying direction of the cooling body 25. The rotation support member 64 provided on the base plate 63 supports the rotation frame member 65 by a bearing portion so as to be angularly displaceable.

  The rotating frame member 65 is an L-shaped bar member as viewed from the top and from the side. That is, the rotating frame member 65 includes, in a steady state, a horizontal bar portion 65a that extends in the horizontal direction, a vertical bar portion 65b that extends from the horizontal bar portion 65a and rises perpendicularly to the horizontal bar portion 65a, and a vertical bar portion. The support rod portion 65c extends in the horizontal direction from the vertical rod portion 65b toward the bucket 27. A rotating shaft member 68 is fixed to the horizontal bar portion 65a of the rotating frame member 65 so as to have an axis in a direction orthogonal to the horizontal bar portion 65a. Strictly speaking, the rotating shaft member 68 is attached to the rotation support portion 64. The bearing part is rotatably supported.

  The bucket 27 is supported at the tip end portion of the support rod portion 65c of the rotating frame member 65 so as to be angularly displaceable, and the fulcrum hinge portion 51 is configured. A balancer 67 for reducing the load torque of the drive source 62 is attached to one end of the horizontal bar portion 65a of the rotating frame member 65. In the steady state, the other end portion of the horizontal bar portion 65a of the rotating frame member 65 opposite to the one end portion on which the balancer 67 is mounted projects from the base plate 63 at a position facing the base plate 63 and the rotation support portion 64. The support protrusion 66 formed in such a manner is supported in contact with the support protrusion 66. The horizontal bar portion 65a of the rotating frame member 65 is merely supported by being in contact with the support protrusion 66, and when the rotating frame member 65 is angularly displaced, the horizontal frame portion 65a is arbitrarily released from the contact state. can do.

  The drive source 62 includes an electric motor 71, an electric motor installation base 72 on which the electric motor 71 is installed, a magnetic seal unit 73, a transmission shaft member 74, and two first and second couplings 75 and 76. The The electric motor 71 is fixed on an electric motor installation base 72 mounted on the side wall of the chamber 21. The rotational driving force of the electric motor 71 is transmitted through a first coupling 75 that connects the output shaft and the shaft of the magnetic seal unit 73. The magnetic seal unit 73 is mounted so as to seal the through hole 77 formed in the side wall of the chamber 21 in order to transmit the rotational driving force of the electric motor 71 to the second tilting means 61 in the chamber 21.

  The rotational driving force transmitted to the magnetic seal unit 73 is further transmitted to the transmission shaft member 74 connected by the second coupling 76, and the transmission shaft member 74 is connected to the rotation shaft member 68 of the rotating frame member 65. As a result, the rotational driving force of the electric motor 71 is transmitted to the rotating frame member 65, and the rotating frame member 65 is counterclockwise around the axis of the rotating shaft member 68 supported by the rotation support portion 64 toward the paper surface of FIG. It can be angularly displaced around.

  The bucket 27 is supported at the tip of the support rod portion 65c of the rotating frame member 65, and the first tilting means 28, which is a falling object moving means, is provided on the support plate 53 that protrudes horizontally from the support rod portion 65c. Since it is mounted, when the drive source 62 is driven to rotate and the rotary frame member 65 is angularly displaced counterclockwise toward the plane of FIG. 2, the first tilting means 28 and the bucket 27 are It can be tilted so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the bottom plate 27a, which is a falling object receiving surface, is closer to the melting furnace 24.

  As a result, the fallen object, which is a piece of the sheet-like silicon 48 received in the bucket 27 and accommodated in the bucket 27, can be re-introduced into the crucible 34 of the melting furnace 24 for reuse as molten metal. Become.

  Note that the angle at which the rotary frame member 65 is tilted is determined appropriately depending on the tilt angle of the bottom plate 27a of the bucket 27, particularly the tilted bottom portion 27a2, and therefore cannot be determined unconditionally, but it is approximately 30 degrees from the initial horizontal state. It is preferable to be inclined to the extent.

  The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 is further provided with a control device 30. The control device 30 is a processing circuit including, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), and is electrically connected to the power source of the melting furnace 24, each drive unit of the dipping means 26, the falling object moving means 28, the falling object recharging means 29, and the like. The entire operation of the apparatus relating to the deposition plate manufacturing is controlled according to the operation control program for the entire apparatus that is connected and stored in advance in the memory unit of the control device 30.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of falling object reception of the falling object receiving means 27 provided in the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how falling objects are received by the falling object moving means 28 provided in the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the fallen object is re-introduced by the fallen object re-introduction means 29 provided in the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20.

  3, 4, and 5, the fallen object 48 a (sheet-like silicon debris) composed of the sheet-like silicon 48 that is self-destructed by the internal stress generated by the thermal history after solidification and precipitation on the surface of the cooling body 25. Explain acceptance and re-input.

  The cooling body 25 immersed in the molten metal 23 is pulled up from the molten metal 23 after the sheet-like silicon 48 is generated by silicon solidification and is transported in a direction away from the upper position of the molten metal 23 indicated by an arrow 47 in FIG. In the process of doing so, the sheet-like silicon 48 may self-destruct due to internal stress generated in the sheet-like silicon 48. When the sheet-like silicon 48 is self-destructed, the adhesive force of the sheet-like silicon 48 to the cooling body 25 is reduced, and the sheet-like silicon 48 becomes a broken piece 48a and is detached from the cooling body 25 and falls. In the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20, the bucket 27, which is a fallen material receiving means, is provided below the conveyance path indicated by the arrow 47 in FIG. 3, so that the pieces 48a of the falling sheet-like silicon 48 are received by the bucket 27, Deposits on the receiving surface or bottom surface 27a.

  When the cooling body 25 is carried into the chamber 21 and the operation of generating and carrying out the sheet-like silicon 48 on the surface of the cooling body 25 is continued, the amount of pieces 48a due to the self-destruction of the sheet-like silicon 48 increases, and the received pieces. 48 a is deposited on the bottom 27 a of the bucket 27 and piles up. In such a state, when the sheet-like silicon 48 generated on the surface of the cooling body 25 is transported, the sheet-like silicon 48 comes into contact with the piled pieces 48a and is healthy due to the contact shock. In other words, there arises a problem that the sheet-like silicon 48 itself is detached from the cooling body 25 and dropped.

  However, in the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 of the present invention, the first tilting means 28 that is the falling object moving means is operated to tilt the bucket 27, whereby the received debris 48a is melted in the bucket 27 in the melting furnace. It is possible to move in a direction away from 24, that is, to move toward a larger accommodation volume. Since the inclined bottom plate 27a2 of the bottom plate 27a is formed so as to be inclined downward in the vertical direction at a portion where the storage capacity of the bucket 27 is large, even if a considerable amount of fragments 48a are stored, it is formed on the surface of the cooling body 25. Thus, the trouble of hitting the sheet-like silicon 48 being conveyed does not occur. Further, by tilting the bucket 27, it is possible to prevent so-called spilling of the received debris 48 a from the bucket 27 into the crucible 34.

  When the amount of the molten metal 23 in the crucible 34 is reduced and replenishment is required, or when the amount of deposition reaches a certain amount, the fragments 48a accumulated in the bucket 27 temporarily stop the production of the sheet-like silicon 48. Then, the falling object re-introducing means 29 is operated, and the bucket 27 is inclined by being angularly displaced counterclockwise in the direction indicated by the arrow 78 in FIG. 5 falls in the vertical direction indicated by an arrow 79 in FIG. 5 and is thrown into the crucible 34 to be melted again.

  The replenishment of the molten metal 23 into the crucible 34 and the re-introduction of the pieces 48a of the sheet-like silicon 48 that are falling can be performed, for example, as follows. A liquid level detector for the molten metal 23 is provided, and the value detected by the liquid level detector is controlled as a limit value of the liquid level that must be replenished with silicon and stored in the memory. When the device 30 compares and the detected value is less than or equal to the limit value, the control device 30 stops the manufacturing operation of the sheet-like silicon, operates the fallen object re-introducing means 29, and operates a silicon replenishing device (not shown). This is possible by outputting a control command to be operated.

  Further, when the deposition amount reaches a certain amount, the re-injection of the pieces 48a of the sheet-like silicon 48 into the crucible 34 can be performed, for example, as follows. The bucket 27 is provided with a weight detector, and the control device compares the value detected by the weight detector with a value that is predetermined as a critical value that must be re-introduced and stored in the memory. When the value exceeds the value, the control device 30 stops the sheet-like silicon manufacturing operation and outputs a control command for operating the fallen object re-introducing means 29.

  In this way, in the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20, the self-destructed debris 48 a of the sheet-like silicon 48 is processed, so that the immersion means 26 and the cooling body 25 are operated due to excessive deposition of the self-destructed debris 48 a of the sheet-like silicon 48. It is possible not to cause any trouble.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view seen from the side direction, showing a simplified configuration of the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 80 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a falling object moving means 81 provided in the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 80. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state where the fallen object is moved in the fallen object receiving means 27, and FIG. The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 80 of the present embodiment is similar to the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 of the first embodiment, and corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  It should be noted in the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 80 that the fall 48a of the sheet-like silicon 48 that is the fallen material received by the bucket 27 that is the fallen matter receiving means is moved in a direction away from the melting furnace 24 in the bucket 27. The object moving means 81 is constituted by a vibration feeder. Here, the vibration feeder is a device that moves a transported object so as to mechanically apply a vertical motion to a horizontal or inclined “saddle-shaped structure” and throw the transported object diagonally forward. That is.

  The bucket 27 which is the same fallen material receiving means as the first embodiment corresponds to a bowl-shaped structure. The bucket 27 is fixed on the vibration feeder 81 by being slightly inclined so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the horizontal bottom 27a1 of the bottom 27a serving as the receiving surface moves away from the melting furnace 34. Further, the vibration feeder 81 is fixed to the upper surface of the support bar portion 65 c of the rotating frame member 65.

  In the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 80, the pieces 48a of the sheet-like silicon 48 detached from the cooling body 25 are received by the bucket 27 and deposited on the bottom 27a which is the receiving surface. By actuating the vibration feeder 81 that is a falling object moving means for the bucket 27 that receives the fragments 48a of the sheet-like silicon 48, vibration is applied to the fragments 48a on the bottom 27a that is the receiving surface, and the bottom of the bucket 27 In combination with the fact that 27a is inclined, it is possible to move the debris 48a away from the melting furnace 24 in the bucket 27 by using vibration as a driving force, that is, to move toward a larger accommodation volume. . That is, the same effect as the first tilting means 28 in the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  Further, when the amount of the molten metal 23 in the crucible 34 is reduced and replenishment is required, or when the amount of debris 48a in the bucket 27 reaches a certain amount, the production of the sheet-like silicon 48 is temporarily stopped, The pieces 48a of the sheet-like silicon 48, which are the fallen objects accumulated in the bucket 27, can be re-introduced into the crucible 34 by the fallen object re-injecting means 29 by tilting the bucket 27 together with the vibration feeder 81.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus is used for manufacturing a sheet-like silicon. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other sheet-like semiconductors, for example, a sheet-like gallium arsenide, are used. Etc., and may be used for the production of sheet metal.

It is a top view which simplifies and shows the structure of the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing seen from the side surface which shows the outline | summary of the precipitation plate manufacture by the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 20 shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the state of the fallen object reception of the fallen object reception means 27 with which the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 is equipped. It is a figure which shows the state which moves a fall thing in the fall thing acceptance means 27 by the fall thing movement means 28 with which the deposit plate manufacturing apparatus 20 is equipped. It is a figure which shows the state of the fallen object re-injection by the fallen object re-injection means 29 with which the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 20 is equipped. It is sectional drawing seen from the side surface which simplifies and shows the structure of the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 80 which is 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which moves a fall thing in the fall thing acceptance means 27 by the fall thing movement means 81 with which the deposit plate manufacturing apparatus 80 is equipped. It is a figure which shows the state of the fallen object re-injection by the fallen object re-injection means 29 with which the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus 80 is equipped. It is a figure which simplifies and shows the structure of the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus 1 used for the conventional sheet-like silicon manufacture. It is a figure explaining the outline | summary of sheet-like silicon manufacture in the precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the state which the sheet-like silicon destroyed by internal stress. It is a figure which shows the state which the sheet-like silicon destroyed by internal stress.

Explanation of symbols

20 Precipitation plate manufacturing equipment
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Chamber 23 Molten metal 24 Melting furnace 25 Cooling body 26 Immersion means 27 Falling object acceptance means 28 Falling object movement means 29 Falling object re-introduction means 30 Controller 34 Crucible 35 High frequency induction coil 81 Vibration feeder

Claims (8)

The object to be melted is heated to form a molten metal, and a melting furnace for storing the molten metal and a cooling body, which is an original plate for producing a precipitation plate, are transported to a position above the molten metal, immersed in the molten metal, pulled up from the molten metal, and melted. Dipping means for conveying in a direction away from the upper position of, and a precipitation plate production apparatus for producing a precipitation plate by solidifying and depositing the object to be melted on the surface of the cooling body,
Falling object receiving means that is provided in the middle of the transport path in which the cooling body is transported in a direction away from the molten metal upper position, and receives falling objects that fall off the cooling body;
A falling object moving means for moving the falling object received by the falling object receiving means in a direction away from the melting furnace in the falling object receiving means;
A deposition plate manufacturing apparatus comprising: fallen object re-introducing means for moving fallen objects received by the fallen substance receiving means into the melting furnace. Falling object acceptance means
To the vicinity of the end of the transfer path where the receiving surface for receiving the fallen object is higher than the level of the molten metal contained in the melting furnace and the cooling body is transferred away from the upper position of the molten metal The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deposition plate manufacturing apparatus is provided below the extended conveyance path. Falling object acceptance means
The receiving surface that receives the fallen object is inclined so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as it is farther from the melting furnace, and the capacity of the receiving part that includes the receiving surface becomes larger as it is farther from the melting furnace. It forms so that it may become. The precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus of Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. Falling object acceptance means
The precipitation plate manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least a part of the receiving surface for receiving the fallen object is made of carbon or quartz. Falling object moving means
The tilting means for tilting the fallen object receiving means is included so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the receiving surface for receiving the fallen object is farther from the melting furnace. The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus of description. The falling object receiving means is inclined so that the receiving surface for receiving the falling object becomes lower in the vertical position as the distance from the melting furnace increases.
5. The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the falling object moving means includes a vibration feeder that vibrates at least a receiving surface that receives the falling object. Falling object re-injection means
The tilting means for tilting the falling object receiving means is included so that the position in the vertical direction becomes lower as the falling object receiving surface of the falling object receiving means is closer to the melting furnace. The deposition plate manufacturing apparatus described in 1. The object to be melted is heated in a melting furnace to form a molten metal, and the cooling body, which is the original plate for producing the precipitation plate, is transported to a position above the molten metal accommodated in the melting furnace, immersed in the molten metal, pulled up from the molten metal, and melted. A precipitation plate manufacturing method for manufacturing a precipitation plate by solidifying and precipitating the object to be melted on the surface of the cooling body by conveying in a direction away from the upper position of
Receiving the fallen object falling off the cooling body while being transported in the direction in which the cooling body is separated from the upper position of the molten metal;
Moving the received fallen object away from the melting furnace;
And a step of moving the received fallen object into the melting furnace.

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