JP2008120640A - Apparatus and method for producing thin sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for producing a thin sheet which can maintain its production amount per unit time, and achieve reduction in the use amount of an inert gas and also the simplification of the vacuum exhaust and conveyance systems. <P>SOLUTION: The thin sheet-producing apparatus 1000 includes: a dipping mechanism 1100 for forming a thin sheet P by dipping the surface of a substrate S into a melt 1002 to solidify the melt thereon; a substrate exchange mechanism 1003 for taking out the substrate S on the surface of which the thin sheet P adheres from the dipping mechanism 1100; a thin sheet separation mechanism 1200 for separating the thin sheet P from the substrate S taken out from the dipping mechanism 1100; and a main chamber 1010 in which the above dipping, substrate exchange and thin sheet separation mechanisms 1100, 1003 and 1200 are arranged. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a thin plate manufacturing apparatus and a thin plate manufacturing method, and more particularly to a thin plate manufacturing apparatus and a thin plate manufacturing method for forming a thin plate on a base plate.

  As an example of a conventional thin plate manufacturing apparatus and thin plate manufacturing method, for example, there is a thin plate manufacturing apparatus and a thin plate manufacturing method disclosed in International Publication No. 2004/003262 pamphlet (Patent Document 1). In the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 2000 disclosed in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 9, a crucible 2001 is disposed in a main chamber 2010, a silicon melt 2002 is stored in the crucible 2001, and a base plate is stored in the silicon melt 2002. An immersion mechanism 2100 for immersing the surface layer portion of S is arranged. The main chamber 2010 is maintained in an inert gas atmosphere. In the main room 2010, a loading sub-chamber 2020 and a carrying-out sub-chamber 2030 are installed adjacent to each other. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing one conventional thin plate manufacturing apparatus.

  Moreover, the thin plate manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Document 1 is performed by the following steps. First, the base plate S is loaded from the outside of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 2000 into the loading subchamber 2020 that is open to the atmosphere. Next, the loading subchamber 2020 is evacuated and replaced with an inert gas atmosphere equivalent to that of the main chamber 2010. Thereafter, the base plate S passes through the gate valve 2021 and is carried into the main chamber 2010. In the main chamber 2010, the base plate S is attached to the immersion mechanism 2100. Thereafter, the temperature of the base plate S is adjusted. Next, the dipping mechanism 2100 transports the base plate S onto the melt 2002 and immerses the surface of the base plate S in the melt 2002 to produce the thin plate P on the surface of the base plate S. The produced thin plate P is removed from the dipping mechanism 2100 while being placed on the base plate S, passes through the gate valve 2031, and is transferred to the unloading subchamber 2030 replaced with an inert gas atmosphere equivalent to the main chamber 2010. Is done. Next, the carry-out subchamber 2030 is opened to the atmosphere, and the thin plate P and the base plate S are carried out of the apparatus.

  Moreover, as another example of the conventional thin plate manufacturing apparatus and thin plate manufacturing method, for example, there is a thin plate manufacturing apparatus and a thin plate manufacturing method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-59849 (Patent Document 2). As shown in FIG. 10, the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 3000 disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a crucible 3001 disposed in a main chamber 2010 shown in FIG. 9, a silicon melt 3002 stored in the crucible 3001, and a silicon melt 3002. An immersion mechanism 3100 for immersing the surface layer portion of the base plate S is disposed. The base plate S is attached to the dipping mechanism 3100. Specifically, the dipping mechanism 3100 includes a traversing rail 3112 for grabbing the base plate S and adjusting the inclination angle thereof, and a lifting mechanism 3121 for moving the traversing rail 3112 up and down along the lifting rail 3122. This is a mechanism that can freely traverse, lift and tilt the base plate S. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing another conventional thin plate manufacturing apparatus.

The thin plate manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Document 2 is performed by the following steps. First, the temperature of the base plate S is adjusted. Next, the dipping mechanism 3100 transports the base plate S onto the silicon melt 3002 and immerses the surface of the base plate S in the silicon melt 3002 to produce the thin plate P on the surface of the base plate S. The produced thin plate P is transported to a place off the crucible 3001 while being placed on the base plate S. At that position, the thin plate P is removed from the base plate S. Then, the base plate S is returned to the position where the temperature is adjusted as it is, and used for the production of the next thin plate.
International Publication No. 2004/003262 Pamphlet JP 2003-59849 A

  However, in the thin plate manufacturing method and the thin plate manufacturing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to carry in and carry out one base plate S every time one thin plate P is manufactured. That is, when the base plate S is carried into the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 2000, it is necessary to carry it through the carrying-in sub chamber 2020. Moreover, after manufacturing the thin plate P, it is necessary to collect the thin plate P and the base plate S and carry them out through the unloading sub chamber 2030. Since these two sub chambers are replaced with an inert gas atmosphere each time, each time one thin plate is manufactured, an inert gas corresponding to the sub chamber volume required for carrying in and out of the two base plates is consumed. become.

  In order not to deteriorate the thin plate production amount (thin plate manufacturing time), it is necessary to design the sub-chamber operation for carrying in and out the base plate S so as not to be delayed from the operation of the immersion mechanism 2100. For this purpose, it is necessary to improve the performance of the mechanism related to the operation time of the two sub chambers. Specifically, it is necessary to improve the evacuation performance and the conveyance performance, and for that purpose, a very large introduction cost, maintenance labor, and installation area are required.

  Furthermore, when the performance improvement is not sufficient, a plurality of base plates S are transported simultaneously, a plurality of base plates S are transported simultaneously when the thin plate P and the base plate S are transported, and a buffer is placed before and after the attachment to the dipping mechanism 2100. It is necessary to take a method that does not deteriorate the manufacturing time of a thin sheet per sheet by preparing it. Specifically, when mounting and removing the base plate P and the thin plate S are performed at the same time, the production time per thin plate is the replacement time of the base plate S, the temperature adjustment time, and the dipping operation time. Total. In addition, after the base plate S goes out of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus, maintenance, cleaning, and replacement with a new base plate are performed. However, also in this case, the sub-chamber volume (installation area) is greatly increased. Therefore, in order to maintain the thin plate manufacturing time, it is necessary to increase the cost and area of the sub chamber.

  Further, in the thin plate manufacturing method and the thin plate manufacturing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, the thin plate P is separated from the base plate S in a state where the base plate S is mounted on the dipping mechanism 3100. In this case, the manufacturing time for one thin plate is the sum of the temperature adjustment time, the dipping operation time, and the thin plate separation time. However, in order to separate the thin plate P from the base plate S without damage, it is assumed that a time longer than the replacement time of the base plate S is required. That is, in this case, there arises a problem that the manufacturing time of the thin plate necessarily increases.

  Furthermore, since the base plate S is fixed to the immersion mechanism 3100, when maintenance or replacement of the base plate S is required, it is necessary to work manually, but the immersion mechanism 3100 has an inert gas atmosphere in the main chamber. Because it is installed in, it can not work easily. That is, it is necessary to stop the power supply to the crucible heating mechanism in the main chamber, stop holding the silicon melt 3002, replace the main chamber with the atmosphere, and make the immersion mechanism 3100 in the main chamber directly accessible to humans. is there. In order to resume the production of the thin plate, it is necessary to at least prepare the melt by evacuating the main chamber, replacing the inert gas, and re-dissolving the raw material. Therefore, it takes a long time to maintain and replace the base plate S, and there is a problem that the productivity of the thin plate is lowered.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the present invention can realize a reduction in the amount of inert gas used while maintaining the production amount per unit time of a thin plate, An object of the present invention is to provide a thin plate manufacturing apparatus and a thin plate manufacturing method capable of simplifying the transport system.

  The thin plate manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes an immersion mechanism, a base plate replacement mechanism, a thin plate separation mechanism, and a main chamber. The dipping mechanism forms a thin plate by immersing the surface of the base plate in the melt and solidifying the melt on the surface of the base plate. The base plate exchanging mechanism removes the base plate with the thin plate attached on the surface from the dipping mechanism. The thin plate separating mechanism separates the thin plate from the base plate removed from the dipping mechanism. The main chamber includes an immersion mechanism, a base plate exchanging mechanism, and a thin plate separating mechanism.

  The thin plate manufacturing apparatus of the present invention forms a thin plate on the surface of the base plate by the immersion mechanism in the main chamber, removes the base plate to which the thin plate is attached by the base plate replacement mechanism, and removes the thin plate from the base plate by the thin plate separation mechanism. Separately, a thin plate can be manufactured. Therefore, every time a single thin plate is manufactured, the inert gas necessary for loading and unloading the base plate is not consumed. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the production amount of the thin plate per unit time and to reduce the use amount of the inert gas. Further, since the number of times the base plate is carried in and out can be reduced, the performance of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be simplified. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate can be maintained, and simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing apparatus further includes a pre-separation base plate buffer that is placed in the main chamber and on which a base plate to which a thin plate formed by an immersion mechanism is attached can be placed.

  Thereby, in the main chamber, it becomes possible to wait for mounting of the base plate to which the thin plate is attached to the thin plate separating mechanism. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate can be improved.

  Preferably, in the thin plate manufacturing apparatus, the base plate disposed in the main chamber and separated by the thin plate separation mechanism is discriminated into a used base plate that is carried out of the main chamber and a reuse base plate that is carried out to the immersion mechanism. A base plate discrimination mechanism is further provided.

  Thereby, it is possible to discriminate between a base plate (used base plate) that needs to be maintained or replaced and a base plate (reused base plate) that can be attached to the immersion mechanism again without performing maintenance. Therefore, since the base plate can be effectively reused in the main room and the carry-in / out of the base plate can be reduced, it is possible to further reduce the use amount of the inert gas accompanying the carry-in / out of the base plate.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing apparatus further includes a base plate standby buffer disposed in the main chamber and on which a used base plate determined by the base plate determination mechanism can be placed.

  Thereby, it can prevent that the number of thin plate manufacture falls by waiting for mounting | wearing to the immersion mechanism of a base plate. Further, since it is not necessary to carry in the base plate from outside the main room every time one thin plate is manufactured, the thin plate can be manufactured continuously in the main room. Therefore, the amount of production of the thin plate per unit time can be improved and the amount of inert gas used can be further reduced.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing apparatus further includes a pre-mounting base plate buffer that is disposed in the main chamber and on which a reuse base plate that is discriminated by the base plate discriminating mechanism can be placed.

  Thereby, since the time required for carrying in and out of the base plate can be reduced, it is possible to reduce the scale of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing apparatus further includes a thin plate stocker that is placed in the main chamber and on which a thin plate separated by a thin plate separation mechanism can be placed.

  Thereby, since the time required for carrying out the manufactured thin plate can be reduced, it is possible to reduce the scale of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system.

  According to the thin plate manufacturing method of the present invention, a thin plate manufacturing method for forming a thin plate by immersing the surface of the base plate in the melt and solidifying the melt on the surface of the base plate, the immersion step and the extraction step And a separation step and a re-immersion step. In the dipping process, the base plate is dipped in the melt. In the extraction step, the base plate to which the thin plate is attached in the immersion step is extracted. In the separation step, the thin plate is separated from the base plate taken out in the extraction step. In the re-immersion step, the base plate separated in the separation step is immersed again in the melt. The dipping process, the removing process, the separating process, and the re-immersing process are performed in the main chamber.

  In the main plate manufacturing method of the present invention, in the main chamber, a thin plate is formed on the surface of the base plate by an immersion process, the base plate to which the thin plate is attached is removed by an extraction process, and the thin plate is separated from the base plate by a separation process. A thin plate can be manufactured and immersed continuously by a re-immersion process. Therefore, every time a single thin plate is manufactured, the inert gas necessary for loading and unloading the base plate is not consumed. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the production amount of the thin plate per unit time and to reduce the use amount of the inert gas. In addition, since the number of times the base plate is carried in and out can be reduced, the performance of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be simplified. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate can be maintained, and simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing method further includes a base plate unloading step of unloading the base plate separated in the separation step out of the main chamber. As a result, the base plate requiring maintenance can be carried out of the main room.

  Preferably, in the thin plate manufacturing method, the base plate unloading step includes a step of unloading the plurality of base plates out of the main room. Thereby, since the base plates which require maintenance can be collectively carried out of the main room, the manufacturing efficiency of the thin plate is improved.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing method further includes an additional step of adding the melt raw material, and the base plate unloading step is performed when the additional step is performed.

  Thereby, since a thin plate can be manufactured further continuously, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate can be improved, and further simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized.

  Preferably in the said thin plate manufacturing method, it is further provided with the thin plate carrying-out process which carries out the several thin plate isolate | separated in the isolation | separation process out of the main chamber, and a thin plate carrying-out process is implemented when implementing a supplementary process.

  Thereby, the time required for carrying out the thin plate can be further shortened. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate can be improved, and further simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing method further includes a thin plate carry-out step of carrying out a plurality of thin plates separated in the separation step to the outside of the main chamber. By carrying out a plurality of thin plates, the manufacturing efficiency of the thin plates can be improved.

  Preferably, the above-described thin plate manufacturing method further includes a follow-up step of adding a melt raw material, and the thin plate unloading step is performed when the melt addition step is performed. Thereby, since a thin plate can be manufactured further continuously, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate can be improved, and further simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized.

  Preferably, in the above-described thin plate manufacturing method, before and after separation, the base plate to which the thin plate taken out in the extraction step is placed is placed in the pre-separation base plate buffer disposed in the main chamber. A ground plane placing step is further provided.

  Thereby, in the main chamber, it becomes possible to wait for mounting of the base plate to which the thin plate is attached to the thin plate separating mechanism. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate can be improved.

  Preferably, in the above thin plate manufacturing method, the base plate before mounting is mounted between the separation step and the re-immersion step, and the base plate separated in the separation step is placed on the base plate buffer before mounting disposed in the main chamber. A placing step.

  Thereby, since the time required for carrying in and out of the base plate can be reduced, it is possible to reduce the scale of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system.

  Preferably, in the thin plate manufacturing method, the base plate is discriminated in the main chamber from the base plate separated from the thin plate by the separation step into a used base plate that is carried out of the main chamber and a reuse base plate that is carried out to the dipping mechanism. The method further includes a step.

  Thereby, it is possible to discriminate between a base plate (used base plate) that needs to be maintained or replaced and a base plate (reused base plate) that can be mounted on the immersion mechanism again without performing maintenance. Therefore, since the base plate can be effectively reused in the main room, the amount of inert gas used when the base plate is carried in and out can be further reduced.

  According to the thin plate manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, a thin plate is formed on the surface of the base plate by the dipping mechanism in the main chamber, the base plate to which the thin plate is attached is removed by the base plate replacement mechanism, and the thin plate is lowered by the thin plate separation mechanism. Separate from the main plate to produce a thin plate. Therefore, every time a single thin plate is manufactured, the inert gas necessary for loading and unloading the base plate is not consumed. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the production amount of the thin plate per unit time and to reduce the use amount of the inert gas. In addition, since the number of times the base plate is carried in and out can be reduced, the performance of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be simplified. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate can be maintained, and simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized.

  According to the thin plate manufacturing method of the present invention, in the main chamber, a thin plate is formed on the surface of the base plate by an immersion process, the base plate to which the thin plate is attached is removed by an extraction step, and the thin plate is separated from the base plate by a separation step. Then, a thin plate is manufactured and dipped continuously by a re-dipping process. Therefore, every time a single thin plate is manufactured, the inert gas necessary for loading and unloading the base plate is not consumed. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the production amount of the thin plate per unit time and to reduce the use amount of the inert gas. In addition, since the number of times the base plate is carried in and out can be reduced, the performance of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be simplified. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate can be maintained, and simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

(Embodiment 1)
With reference to FIG. 1, the thin plate manufacturing apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a thin plate manufacturing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention includes an immersion mechanism 1100, a base plate replacement mechanism 1003, a thin plate separation mechanism 1200, and a main chamber 1010. The immersion mechanism 1100 forms the thin plate P by immersing the surface of the base plate S in the melt 1002 and solidifying the melt 1002 on the surface of the base plate S. The base plate exchanging mechanism 1003 removes the base plate S with the thin plate P attached on the surface from the dipping mechanism 1100. The thin plate separating mechanism 1200 separates the thin plate P from the base plate S removed from the dipping mechanism 1100. In the main chamber 1010, an immersion mechanism 1100, a base plate replacement mechanism 1003, and a thin plate separation mechanism 1200 are disposed inside.

  Specifically, the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 includes a crucible 1001, a melt 1002, a base plate replacement mechanism 1003, a main chamber 1010, a base plate buffer 1011 before separation, a base plate buffer 1012 before mounting, and a base plate standby. A buffer 1013, a thin plate stocker 1014, a base plate loading / unloading subchamber 1020, gate valves 1021, 1022, 1031 and 1032, and a thin plate unloading subchamber 1030 are provided. A crucible 1001, a melt 1002, a base plate exchanging mechanism 1003, a base plate buffer 1011 before separation, a base plate buffer 1012 before mounting, a base plate standby buffer 1013, and a thin plate stocker 1014 are placed inside the main chamber 1010. Has been placed.

  The crucible 1001 stores a melt 1002, an immersion mechanism 1100 for immersing the surface of the base plate S in the melt 1002, and a base plate exchange mechanism 1003 for mounting and removing the base plate S on the immersion mechanism 1100. ing. The melt 1002 is made of silicon in the first embodiment, but is not particularly limited to this. The melt 1002 may be a material of the thin plate P, and it is preferable that the melt 1002 contains at least one of a metal material and a semiconductor material from the use of the thin plate P. For example, as the melt 1002, a semiconductor material such as silicon, germanium, gallium, arsenic, indium, boron, antimony, zinc, or tin, a metal material such as aluminum, nickel, or iron, or a resin can be used.

  In the pre-separation base plate buffer 1011, the base plate S to which the thin plate P formed by the immersion mechanism 1100 is attached can be placed. The pre-separation base plate buffer 1011 is disposed adjacent to the immersion mechanism 1100.

  The thin plate separating mechanism 1200 separates the thin plate P from the base plate S removed from the dipping mechanism 1100. The thin plate separation mechanism 1200 is disposed adjacent to the pre-separation base plate buffer 1011.

  The base plate discriminating mechanism 1300 discriminates the base plate S from which the thin plate P has been separated by the thin plate separating mechanism 1200 into a used base plate that is carried out of the main chamber 1010 and a reuse base plate that is carried out to the immersion mechanism 1100. A used base plate is a substrate that requires maintenance or replacement. In the first embodiment, the outside of the main room 1010 includes a base plate carry-in / out sub-chamber 1020. The base plate discriminating mechanism 1300 is disposed adjacent to the thin plate separating mechanism 1200.

  The pre-mounting base plate buffer 1012 mounts a reuse base plate determined by the base plate determination mechanism 1300, and preferably mounts a plurality of reuse base plates. The pre-mounting base plate buffer 1012 is disposed adjacent to the base plate discriminating mechanism 1300 and the immersion mechanism 1100.

  The base plate standby buffer 1013 places a used base plate that is discriminated by the base plate discriminating mechanism 1300, and preferably places a plurality of used base plates.

  The thin plate stocker 1014 places the thin plate P separated from the base plate S by the thin plate separation mechanism 1200.

  As the pre-mounting base plate buffer 1012, the base plate standby buffer 1013, and the thin plate stocker 1014, for example, a structure that can be transported using a transport system such as a plurality of independent conveyors, rollers, or lift carry can be used. Further, in order to be able to place the base plate S or the thin plate P, for example, a cassette, a tray, or a concave shape such as a vessel can be used.

  An inert gas is introduced into the main chamber 1010 and is maintained at a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, that is, a negative pressure. In the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 shown in FIG. 1, Ar (argon) gas is introduced and the pressure is around 500 MPa. Thereby, a highly reactive raw material can be dissolved in the main chamber 1010.

  The thin plate carry-out subchamber 1030 is connected to the main chamber 1010 via the gate valve 1031. In the first embodiment, a thin plate unloading sub chamber 1030 is arranged at a location adjacent to the thin plate stocker 1014. The thin plate carry-out subchamber 1030 becomes atmospheric pressure when the gate valve 1032 is opened.

  The base plate loading / unloading sub chamber 1020 is connected to the main chamber 1010 via a gate valve 1021. In the first embodiment, the base plate carry-in / out subchamber 1020 is arranged at a location adjacent to the base plate standby buffer 1013. The base plate loading / unloading subchamber 1020 becomes atmospheric pressure when the gate valve 1022 is opened.

  In addition, a raw material subchamber (not shown) for introducing additional raw materials into the crucible 1001 in the main chamber 1010 is disposed. In the raw material sub-chamber, for example, a raw material replenishment mechanism of the melt 1002 is disposed.

  The thin plate carry-out subchamber 1030, the base plate carry-in / out subchamber 1020, and the raw material subchamber have the same atmosphere as the main chamber 1010, that is, an inert gas atmosphere, and are set to a negative pressure. The thin plate carry-out subchamber 1030, the base plate carry-in / out subchamber 1020, and the raw material subchamber are smaller than the main chamber 1010.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 1-3, the thin plate manufacturing method in embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. The thin plate manufacturing method in Embodiment 1 of the present invention is a thin plate manufacturing method in which the surface of the base plate S is immersed in the melt 1002 and the melt 1002 is solidified on the surface of the base plate S to form the thin plate P. And an immersion step (S10), an extraction step (S20), a separation step (S40), and a re-immersion step (S70). In the dipping step (S10), the base plate S is dipped in the melt 1002. In the take-out step (S20), the base plate S to which the thin plate P is attached in the dipping step (S10) is taken out. In the separation step (S40), the thin plate P is separated from the base plate S taken out in the extraction step (S20). In the re-immersion step (S70), the base plate S separated in the separation step (S40) is immersed again in the melt 1002. The immersion step (S10), the removal step (S20), the separation step (S40), and the re-immersion step (S70) are performed in the main chamber 1010. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the thin plate manufacturing method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the base plate replacement operation in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, first, an immersion step (S10) in which the base plate S is immersed in the melt 1002 is performed. When the dipping step (S10) is performed, the thin plate P is attached to the surface of the base plate S. In addition, when the melt 1002 is high temperature, the base plate S preferably has sufficient heat resistance that is not easily damaged by the dipping step (S10). For example, carbon is preferably used.

  Next, an extraction step (S20) for taking out the base plate S to which the thin plate P adheres in the dipping step (S10) is performed. Specifically, in the take-out step (S20), the thin plate P and the base plate S are detached from the dipping mechanism 1100 in an integrated state. Thereafter, the next base plate S is mounted on the dipping mechanism 1100. In the take-out process (S20), in order to shorten the manufacturing time of the thin plate P, it is preferable to simultaneously take out the base plate S to which the thin plate P is attached and attach the base plate S to the dipping mechanism 1100.

  As shown in FIG. 3, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the base plate replacement operation performed in the take-out step (S20) is performed by placing the dipping mechanism 1100 equipped with the base plate S1 with the thin plate P attached to the surface in the immersion step (S10) at the base plate replacement position. Deploy. Then, the base plate S2 waiting in the base plate buffer 1012 before mounting is mounted on the base plate replacement mechanism 1003 (for example, a member to be gripped). Then, the base plate S2 attached to the base plate exchange mechanism 1003 is pushed out in the direction along the groove, for example, by pushing the base plate S1 to which the thin plate P attached to the dipping mechanism 1100 is attached. The base plate S1 is taken out of the immersion mechanism 1100, and the next base plate S2 is mounted on the immersion mechanism 1100. The base plate replacement position is a position where the base plate S mounted on the immersion mechanism 1100 can be taken out and a new base plate S can be mounted on the immersion mechanism 1100.

  Next, a pre-separation base plate placement step (S30) is performed in which the base plate S to which the thin plate P taken out in the take-out step (S20) is attached is placed on the pre-separation base plate buffer 1011 disposed in the main chamber 1010. To do. Specifically, in the pre-separation base plate placement step (S30), the base plate S to which the thin plate P taken out by the base plate exchange mechanism 1003 is attached is placed on the pre-separation base plate buffer 1011. The pre-separation base plate buffer 1011 preferably stores a plurality of base plates S to which the thin plate P is attached.

  Next, a separation step (S40) for separating the thin plate P from the base plate S taken out in the extraction step (S20) is performed. Specifically, in the separation step (S40), the base plate S removed from the dipping mechanism 1100 is sent to the thin plate separation mechanism 1200 via the base plate buffer 1011 before separation. The thin plate P is removed from the base plate S by the thin plate separation mechanism 1200. By performing the separation step (S40), the thin plate P can be manufactured. The manufactured thin plate P is preferably placed on the thin plate stocker 1014. The base plate S is sent to a base plate discrimination step (S50) described later.

  In the separation step (S40), when it takes time to separate the thin plate P from the base plate S, it is preferable to include a step of simultaneously separating the plurality of thin plates P from the plurality of base plates S. Specifically, a plurality of thin plate separation mechanisms 1200 are preferably installed. Thereby, since the some thin plate P can be isolate | separated from the baseplate S simultaneously, the manufacturing amount per unit time of the thin plate P can be improved.

  Next, a base plate discriminating step for discriminating the base plate S from which the thin plate P has been separated in the separation step (S40) into a used base plate carried out of the main chamber 1010 and a reuse base plate carried out to the immersion mechanism 1100. (S50) is performed. In the base plate determination step (S50), it is determined whether the base plate S from which the thin plate P has been separated needs to be maintained or replaced. Specifically, the base plate S determined to require maintenance or replacement is determined as a used base plate, and the base plate S determined not to require maintenance or replacement is determined to be a reused base plate. By performing the base plate discrimination step (S50), the base plate S determined as a used base plate needs to be carried out of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000, and is sent to the base plate standby buffer 1013. It is placed on the base plate standby buffer 1013. Note that a plurality of unused base plates S are waiting in the base plate standby buffer 1013, and are replaced with base plates S that have been sent after being determined as used base plates.

  Next, a pre-mounting base plate placement step (S60) is performed in which the base plate S separated in the separation step (S40) is placed on the pre-mounting base plate buffer 1012 disposed in the main chamber 1010. Specifically, in the pre-mounting base plate placing step (S60), the base plate S determined as the reuse base plate in the base plate determining step (S50) is placed on the pre-mounting base plate buffer 1012.

  Next, a re-immersion step (S70) is performed in which the base plate S separated in the separation step (S40) is immersed again in the melt 1002. Specifically, in the re-immersion step (S70), the base plate S placed on the pre-mounting base plate buffer 1012 is immersed in the same manner as in the above-described immersion step (S10), whereby the thin plate P is immersed in the base plate S. Adhere to.

  Next, an extraction step (S20) is performed. Since this process is the same as the process described above, description thereof will not be repeated. Moreover, the said process (S10-S70) is implemented in the main chamber 1010.

  The first embodiment further includes a base plate unloading step of unloading the base plate S separated in the separation step (S40) out of the main chamber 1010. In the base plate unloading step, the base plate S determined as the used base plate by the base plate determination mechanism 1300 is placed on the base plate standby buffer 1013, and when the base plate S is placed, or at any time, The base plate S is carried out of the main chamber 1010 as follows. From the viewpoint of improving the manufacturing efficiency of the thin plate P, the base plate carry-in / out step preferably includes a step of carrying out the plurality of base plates S to the outside of the main chamber 1010.

  Specifically, the gate valve 1021 connecting the base plate carry-in / out subchamber 1020 and the main chamber 1010 is opened, and the base plate carry-in / out subchamber 1020 is replaced with an inert gas atmosphere equivalent to the main chamber 1010. Then, the base plate S placed on the base plate standby buffer 1013 is transferred to the base plate carry-in / out subchamber 1020. Next, the gate valve 1021 is closed, and the base plate loading / unloading subchamber 1020 is opened to the atmosphere. Thereafter, the gate valve 1022 connecting the base plate loading / unloading sub chamber 1020 and the outside of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 is opened, and the base plate S is transported out of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000. Thereafter, a new or maintained base plate S is carried into the base plate carry-in / out subchamber 1020 from the outside of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000. Then, the gate valve 1022 is closed, and the base plate loading / unloading subchamber 1020 is evacuated and then replaced with an inert gas. When the atmospheres of the main chamber 1010 and the base plate carry-in / out sub-chamber 1020 become equal, the gate valve 1021 is opened, and a new or maintained base plate S is carried into the base plate standby buffer 1013.

  The first embodiment further includes a thin plate carrying-out step of carrying out the plurality of thin plates P separated in the separation step (S40) to the outside of the main chamber 1010. In the thin plate unloading process, the thin plate P separated by the thin plate separation mechanism 1200 is placed on the thin plate stocker 1014. When the thin plate P is placed or at any time, the thin plate P is removed from the main chamber 1010 as follows. To be taken out. In addition, from the viewpoint of improving the manufacturing efficiency of the thin plate P, it is preferable that the thin plate unloading step unloads the plurality of thin plates P outside the main chamber 1010.

  Specifically, the gate valve 1031 connecting the thin plate carry-out subchamber 1030 and the main chamber 1010 is opened, and the thin plate carry-out subchamber 1030 is replaced with an inert gas atmosphere equivalent to that of the main chamber 1010. Then, the thin plate P is conveyed to the thin plate unloading sub chamber 1030. At this time, it is desirable to carry out the thin plate P placed together with the thin plate stocker 1014. Also, it is desirable to prepare an empty stocker to be replaced when carrying out. This eliminates the need to interrupt the separation step (S40). Next, the gate valve 1031 is closed, and the thin plate unloading subchamber 1030 is opened to the atmosphere. Thereafter, the gate valve 1032 connecting the thin plate unloading sub chamber 1030 and the outside of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 is opened, and the thin plate P is transferred out of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000. Thereafter, an empty thin plate stocker is carried into the thin plate unloading sub chamber 1030 from the outside of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000. Then, the gate valve 1032 is closed, and the thin plate carry-out subchamber 1030 is evacuated, and then replaced with an inert gas. When the atmospheres of the main chamber 1010 and the thin plate carry-out subchamber 1030 become the same, the gate valve 1031 is opened, and an empty thin plate stocker is carried into the main chamber 1010.

  The first embodiment further includes an additional process for adding the raw material of the melt 1002. When carrying out the additional process, it is preferable to carry out the base plate unloading process. Moreover, it is preferable to implement a thin plate carrying-out process when the additional process is performed. Furthermore, it is preferable to carry out the base plate unloading step and the thin plate unloading step when the additional process is performed. Note that “when the additional process is performed” may be the same as the additional process, or may be slightly shifted as long as the time periods during which the additional process is performed overlap. It is preferable to implement simultaneously from a viewpoint which can devote the time which implements an additional process to a baseplate carrying-out process and a thin-plate carrying-out process.

  The thin plate P can be manufactured by performing the said process (S10-S70). In the first embodiment, a silicon thin plate can be obtained.

  As described above, according to the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the surface of the base plate S is immersed in the melt 1002, and the melt 1002 is solidified on the surface of the base plate S, so that the thin plate Immersion mechanism 1100 for forming P, base plate exchanging mechanism 1003 for removing base plate S with thin plate P attached on the surface thereof from submersion mechanism 1100, and base plate S for removing thin plate P from submergence mechanism 1100 A thin plate separating mechanism 1200, a dipping mechanism 1100, a base plate exchanging mechanism 1003, and a main chamber 1010 in which the thin plate separating mechanism 1200 is disposed are provided. As a result, in the main chamber 1010, the thin plate P is formed on the surface of the base plate S by the dipping mechanism 1100, the base plate S to which the thin plate P is attached is removed by the base plate replacement mechanism 1003, and the thin plate is separated by the thin plate separation mechanism 1200. The thin plate P can be manufactured by separating P from the base plate S. Therefore, every time one thin plate P is manufactured, the inert gas necessary for loading and unloading the base plate S is not consumed. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the production amount per unit time of the thin plate P and reduce the amount of inert gas used. Further, since the number of times the base plate S is carried in and out of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 can be reduced, the performance of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be simplified. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate P can be maintained, and simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 further includes a pre-separation base plate buffer 1011 that is placed in the main chamber 1010 and on which the base plate S to which the thin plate P formed by the immersion mechanism 1100 is attached can be placed. Thereby, in the main chamber 1010, it is possible to wait for the base plate S to which the thin plate P is attached to be attached to the thin plate separating mechanism 1200. Therefore, even if there is a difference between the time required for the immersion step (S10) by the immersion mechanism 1100 per substrate S and the time required for the separation step (S40) by the thin plate separation mechanism 1200, the inside of the main chamber 1010 It can be adjusted with. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate P can be improved.

  Preferably, in the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000, the base plate S, which is disposed in the main chamber 1010 and from which the thin plate P has been separated by the thin plate separation mechanism 1200, is carried out to the outside of the main chamber 1010, and carried out to the dipping mechanism 1100. A base plate discrimination mechanism 1300 that discriminates the reuse base plate to be used is further provided. Thereby, it is possible to discriminate between the base plate S that needs to be maintained or replaced and the base plate S that can be mounted on the immersion mechanism 1100 again without performing maintenance. Therefore, it is possible to extend the time for opening the base plate loading / unloading subchamber 1020 and replacing it with a new or maintained base plate S by the number of times the reused base plate is used. Therefore, since the base plate S can be effectively reused in the main room 1010, the amount of inert gas used when the base plate S is carried in and out can be further reduced.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 further includes a base plate standby buffer 1013 that is disposed in the main chamber 1010 and on which a used base plate that is discriminated by the base plate discriminating mechanism 1300 can be placed. Thereby, it can prevent that the number of thin plate manufacture falls by waiting for mounting | wearing to the immersion mechanism 1100 of the baseplate S. FIG. Further, since it is not necessary to carry in a new or maintained base plate S from the outside of the main chamber 1010 every time one thin plate P is manufactured, the thin plate P can be manufactured continuously in the main chamber 1010. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate P can be improved, and the use amount of the inert gas can be further reduced.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 further includes a pre-mounting base plate buffer 1012 that is disposed in the main chamber 1010 and on which a reuse base plate determined by the base plate determination mechanism 1300 can be placed. Thereby, the thin plate P can be manufactured continuously in the main chamber 1010. Further, by providing the pre-separation base plate buffer 1011 and the pre-mounting base plate buffer 1012, the base plate S can be replaced and taken out simultaneously. Therefore, since the time required for the base plate unloading process can be reduced, it is possible to reduce the scale of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system.

  The thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 preferably further includes a thin plate stocker 1014 that can be placed in the main chamber 1010 and on which the thin plate P separated by the thin plate separation mechanism 1200 can be placed. Thereby, the manufactured thin plate P can be carried out collectively. Therefore, since the time required for carrying out the thin plate P can be reduced, it is possible to reduce the scale of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system.

  According to the thin plate manufacturing method in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the thin plate manufacturing method of forming the thin plate P by immersing the surface of the base plate S in the melt 1002 and solidifying the melt 1002 on the surface of the base plate S. In the immersion step (S10) in which the base plate S is immersed in the melt 1002, in the extraction step (S20) for taking out the base plate S to which the thin plate P is adhered in the immersion step (S10), in the extraction step (S20). A separation step (S40) for separating the thin plate P from the taken out base plate S, and a re-immersion step (S70) for immersing the base plate S separated in the separation step (S40) in the melt 1002 again. The step (S10), the removal step (S20), the separation step (S40), and the re-immersion step (S70) are performed in the main chamber. Thus, in the main chamber 1010, the thin plate P is formed on the surface of the base plate S by the dipping step (S10), the base plate S to which the thin plate P is attached is removed by the extraction step (S20), and the separation step (S40). ) To separate the thin plate P from the base plate S, and the thin plate P can be manufactured, and is continuously immersed in the re-immersion step (S70). Therefore, it is not necessary to carry in / out the base plate S every time one thin plate P is manufactured, and the inert gas necessary to carry in / out the base plate S is not consumed. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the production amount per unit time of the thin plate P and reduce the amount of inert gas used. Further, since the number of times the base plate S is carried in and out of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 can be reduced, the volumes of the base plate carry-in / out subchamber 1020 and the thin plate carry-out subchamber 1030 can be reduced, and the performance of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be reduced. By reducing the size, it is possible to simplify the scale of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate P can be maintained, and simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized. In addition, maintenance costs can be reduced with simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing method further includes a base plate unloading step of unloading the base plate S separated in the separation step (S40) to the outside of the main chamber 1010. As a result, the base plate S requiring maintenance or replacement can be carried out of the main chamber 1010.

  Preferably, in the thin plate manufacturing method, the base plate unloading step includes a step of unloading the plurality of base plates S out of the main chamber 1010. As a result, the base plates S requiring maintenance can be brought out of the main chamber 1010 together. Therefore, the number of times of opening the gate valve 1021 connecting the base plate carry-in / out subchamber 1020 and the main chamber 1010 can be reduced, so that the amount of inert gas used when the gate valve 1021 is opened can be reduced.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing method further includes an additional process for additionally mounting the raw material of the melt 1002, and the base plate unloading process is performed when the additional process is performed. Thereby, since the time required for the additional process can be used for the base plate unloading process, the manufacturing efficiency of the thin plate P can be improved. In addition, since there is no waste in the operation of carrying out or carrying in the base plate S in the base plate carrying-in / out sub-chamber 1020, the number of the base plates S carried out in the base plate carrying-out process is reduced, so that the base plate is carried in / out. The apparatus of the sub chamber 1020 can be reduced in size, and further simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized by reducing the vacuum exhaust performance and the transport performance. Note that the time required for the additional process is the sum of the time for adding the additional raw material to the crucible 1001, the dissolution time of the additional raw material, and the temperature adjustment time of the melt 1002.

  Preferably, in the thin plate manufacturing method, the method further includes a thin plate unloading step of unloading the plurality of thin plates P separated in the separation step (S40) to the outside of the main chamber 1010. carry out. Thereby, the time required for the additional process can be used for the base plate unloading step and the thin plate unloading step. Therefore, the manufacturing efficiency of the thin plate P can be further improved. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate P can be improved, and further simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing method further includes a thin plate carry-out step of carrying out the plurality of thin plates P separated in the separation step (S40) to the outside of the main chamber 1010. By carrying out a plurality of thin plates P to the thin plate carry-out subchamber 1030, the thin plates P can be carried out of the main chamber 1010 together. Therefore, since the number of times of opening the gate valve 1031 connecting the thin plate unloading sub chamber 1030 and the main chamber 1010 can be reduced, the amount of inert gas used when the gate valve 1031 is opened can be reduced.

  Preferably, the thin plate manufacturing method further includes a mounting step of mounting the raw material of the melt 1002, and the thin plate unloading step is performed when the melt adding step is performed. The time required for the additional process can be used for the thin plate carrying-out process. Therefore, the manufacturing efficiency of the thin plate P can be further improved. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate P can be improved, and further simplification of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be realized.

  Preferably, in the thin plate manufacturing method, the base plate S, which is performed between the take-out step (S20) and the separation step (S40) and to which the thin plate P taken out in the take-out step (S20) is attached, is disposed in the main chamber 1010. And a pre-separation base plate placement step (S30) for placing on the pre-separation base plate buffer 1011. Thereby, in the main chamber 1010, it is possible to wait for the base plate S to which the thin plate P is attached to be attached to the thin plate separating mechanism 1200. Therefore, even if there is a difference between the time required for the immersion step (S10) by the immersion mechanism 1100 per substrate S and the time required for the separation step (S40) by the thin plate separation mechanism 1200, the inside of the main chamber 1010 It can be adjusted with. Therefore, the production amount per unit time of the thin plate P can be improved.

  Preferably, in the above thin plate manufacturing method, the base plate S which is performed between the separation step (S40) and the re-immersion step (S70) and separated in the separation step (S40) is placed in the main chamber 1010. A pre-mounting base plate placing step (S60) for placing on the base plate buffer 1012 is further provided. As a result, the time required for the base plate unloading step can be reduced, so that the scale of the vacuum exhaust system and the transport system can be reduced.

  Preferably, in the thin plate manufacturing method, the base plate S from which the thin plate P has been separated in the main chamber 1010 by the separation step (S40) is used, and the used base plate is transported out of the main chamber 1010, and the base plate S is transported to the immersion mechanism 1100. A base plate discriminating step (S50) for discriminating from the base plate to be used is further provided. Through the base plate discrimination step (S50), it is possible to discriminate between the base plate S that needs to be maintained or replaced and the base plate S that can be mounted on the immersion mechanism 1100 again without maintenance. Therefore, it is possible to lengthen the time for opening the base plate loading / unloading subchamber 1020 and replacing it with a new or maintained base plate S by the number of times the reused base plate is used. Therefore, since the base plate S can be effectively reused in the main room 1010, the amount of inert gas used when the base plate S is carried in and out can be further reduced.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the operation of the immersion mechanism in the thin plate manufacturing apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Embodiment 2 of the present invention is characterized by an immersion mechanism. The immersion mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. Since other configurations are the same as those of thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 in the first embodiment, description thereof will not be repeated.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the immersion mechanism 1100 includes a horizontal operation shaft 1112 that operates (runs) by a horizontal operation motor 1111 and a lifting operation motor 1121 that operates horizontally by the horizontal operation shaft 1112. A rotating mechanism 1131 and a main column 1123 are attached to a suspension column 1122 that is moved up and down by a lifting motor. A fixed column 1151 and a pedestal 1152 are connected to the tip of the main column 1123 so as to be rotatable by a rotation shaft 1142. The rotating shaft 1141 operated by the rotating mechanism 1131 and the rotating shaft 1142 installed at the tip of the main column 1123 are rotated synchronously by the power transmission mechanism 1132. Accordingly, the pedestal 1152 that holds the base plate S can freely rotate. In addition, the lifting / lowering operation motor 1121 and the horizontal operation motor 1111 can freely perform the lifting / lowering operation and the horizontal operation. Such horizontal operation, elevating operation, and rotating operation can be performed independently of each other.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the operation of the dipping step (S10) in the thin plate manufacturing method according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, an immersion process (S10) is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the base plate S is mounted on the base 1152 when the base 1152 is located at the base plate replacement position 1161. Specifically, the pedestal 1152 has an engaging groove that engages with the base plate S at the center. The base plate S has hook-shaped protrusions on the back surface, and the hook-shaped protrusions engage with the engaging grooves of the pedestal 1152 so that both are integrated. The surface opposite to the surface facing the pedestal 1152 in the base plate S is a surface on which the thin plate P is manufactured, and is flat. The base 1152 is slid and mounted so that the engaging groove of the base 1152 is fitted to the hook-shaped protrusion of the base plate S. At this time, the surface of the base plate S on the side on which the thin plate P is grown faces the zenith direction. At that position, the temperature of the base plate S may be adjusted using a heater (not shown). Thereafter, the base plate S moves to the right in FIG. Next, as indicated by an arrow 1160, the thin plate P is manufactured on the surface of the base plate S by immersing the surface of the base plate S in the melt 1002 while returning to the left in FIG.

  Thereafter, the base plate S1 on which the thin plate P has grown further rotates while returning to the left, and returns to the base plate replacement position 1161 with the surface of the base plate S facing the zenith direction. Thereafter, the base plate S1 on which the thin plate P is formed is slid and pushed out from the pedestal 1152, and a new base plate S2 is mounted on the pedestal 1152.

  In the present embodiment, the surface of the base plate S when the base plate S is replaced is directed to the zenith direction on the surface on which the thin plate P is grown, but may be oriented in any direction such as sideways or downward. I do not care. In FIG. 5, the immersion operation cycle is clockwise, but any cycle such as counterclockwise, clockwise halfway, counterclockwise from the middle, or counterclockwise halfway, clockwise from the middle. It doesn't matter.

  The above settings are usually made by programming a horizontal movement command, a lifting / lowering movement command, and a rotation operation command on a personal computer, etc., and sending them to the controller to realize an arbitrary trajectory as programmed. .

  As described above, the thin plate P can be attached on the surface of the base plate S by performing the dipping step (S10). In addition, although the immersion process (S10) in Embodiment 2 uses the immersion mechanism 1100 which uses a guide rail, it is not limited to this in particular, For example, a structure using a rotating body or a structure like a robot arm is used. The mechanism used can also be used.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a thin plate separating mechanism in the thin plate manufacturing apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Embodiment 3 of the present invention is characterized by a thin plate separation mechanism. The thin plate separation mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. Since other configurations are the same as those of thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 in the first embodiment, description thereof will not be repeated.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the thin plate separating mechanism 1200 includes a gripping portion suction pad 1210, a thin plate transport suction pad 1220, a burr suction pad 1230, and a fixing base 1240 that fixes the base plate S. The gripping part suction pad 1210 and the thin plate suction pad 1220 are arranged at positions where the surface on which the thin plate P is formed and the suction pads 1211 and 1221 can come into contact with each other. The burr suction pad 1230 is disposed at a position where the portion where the burr B is formed and the suction pad 1231 can come into contact with each other. In the third embodiment, the grip portion suction pad 1210 and the thin plate transport suction pad 1220 are arranged above the surface on which the thin plate P is formed, and the burr suction pad 1230 is on the side of the surface on which the burr B is formed. Is arranged.

  The gripping part suction pad 1210 includes a suction pad 1211, a vacuum line 1212, a vertical movement rod 1213, and a horizontal movement rod 1214. The on / off state of the vacuum can be controlled by a control unit, a vacuum pump or vacuum ejector, a pressure gauge, an air filter or the like (not shown) connected to the vacuum line 1212.

  The thin plate conveyance suction pad 1220 includes a suction pad 1221, a vacuum line 1222, a vertical movement rod 1223, and a horizontal movement rod 1224. The on / off state of the vacuum can be controlled by a control unit, a vacuum pump or vacuum ejector, a pressure gauge, an air filter, etc. (not shown) connected to the vacuum line 1222.

  The burr suction pad 1230 includes a suction pad 1231, a vacuum line 1232, and a horizontal movement rod 1234. The on / off state of the vacuum can be controlled by a control unit, a vacuum pump or vacuum ejector, a pressure gauge, an air filter or the like (not shown) connected to the vacuum line 1232.

  The base plate S is devised to prevent the thin plate P from falling by providing a concave gripping structure on one side surface thereof. Furthermore, the surface of the base plate S is provided with a moat structure along the periphery of three sides other than the side having the gripping structure, so that the thin plate P and a solidified material (hereinafter referred to as burr B) grown on the periphery of the base plate S are provided. Are separated).

  The material of the suction pads 1211, 1221 and 1231 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a material having high heat resistance. Since the base plate S and the thin plate P immediately after the dipping step (S10) have a relatively high temperature of 150 to 200 ° C., it is necessary to perform the separation step (S40) after cooling if the material has low heat resistance. Because. Furthermore, the material of the suction pads 1211, 1221 and 1231 is preferably flexible. By using a flexible material, not only the impact applied to the thin plate P is softened, but even if the thin plate P has minute unevenness, the unevenness due to the deformation of the gripping portion suction pad 1210 and the thin plate transport suction pad 1220 This is because adsorption can be easily performed. As a material having both heat resistance and flexibility, for example, fluorine rubber, silicon rubber or the like can be suitably used.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the thin plate separating mechanism 1200 is provided with a separate thin plate transport suction pad 1220 for transporting the thin plate P. However, the gripping portion suction pad 1210 can also be used for transporting the thin plate. . By adopting such a configuration to be used in combination, the thin plate manufacturing apparatus is further simplified. In addition, in the structure used together, in order to adsorb | suck and convey in the position where the gravity balance of the thin plate P is comparatively bad, it is preferable to give the device which the thin plate P does not fall during conveyance. For example, by providing a plurality of gripping part suction pads 1210, the gravity balance of the thin plate P during transportation is improved.

  In FIG. 6, in order to prevent the base plate S from moving during the separation step (S40), a fixing base 1240 for fixing the dovetail portion of the base plate S is provided. The form of the fixing base 1240 is shown in FIG. It is not limited to the form shown in. For example, the fixing base 1240 may be configured to fix the side surface of the base plate S, may be configured to chuck dovetail groove corners diagonally, or may be configured to be fixed by suction. Good.

  FIG. 7 shows the operation of the separation step (S40) in the thin plate manufacturing method of Embodiment 3 of the present invention, (A) is a schematic view when the gripping part suction pad is operated, and (B) is It is the schematic when operating a thin board conveyance suction pad and a tension | suction suction pad. With reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the separation step (S40) will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the gripping portion suction pad 1210 sucks the vicinity of the grip portion P1 of the thin plate P, while the thin plate P extends in the direction in which the thin plate P extends (the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7A). Move to). As a result, the grip portion P1 of the thin plate P and the grip portion of the base plate S are separated.

  Next, the gripping part suction pad 1210 is removed from the thin plate P, and the whole thin plate P is lifted by the thin plate conveyance suction pad 1220 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the thin plate P is conveyed to a predetermined place by the grip portion suction pad 1210.

  Next, the burr B is separated from the base plate S by moving in the direction opposite to the gripping portion P1 by the burr suction pad 1230. The separated burr B is stored in a burr collecting mechanism (not shown) arranged around the thin plate separating mechanism 1200. Note that the burrs stored in the burr collecting mechanism can be reused as a raw material to be added in the additional process.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, in the third embodiment, the grip portion suction pad 1210 sucks the thin plate P at one point, but may suck at a plurality of points. Moreover, you may perform wide range adsorption | suction by a rectangular adsorption pad. Thus, by performing adsorption | suction in a wide range, the thin plate P will be hold | maintained more firmly.

  In addition, the suction force of the gripping part suction pad 1210, the thin plate transport suction pad 1220, and the burr suction pad 1230 is determined by the area and pressure of the suction pads 1211, 1221, and 1231, but is suitable for performing the separation step (S40). The suction force varies depending on the shape of the suction pads 1211, 1221 and 1231 and the shape of the base plate S to be subjected to the separation step (S40).

  The operation of the separation step (S40) is not limited to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the thin plate conveyance suction pad 1220 as shown in FIG. As conveyance of the thin plate P, for example, an articulated robot or the like may be used. As the fixing method and separation operation of the base plate S, the most suitable form for line conveyance can be selected.

  As described above, by performing the separation step (S40), the separated thin plate P is moved to the thin plate stocker 1014 by the vertical moving rod 1223 and the horizontal moving rod 1224 of the thin plate conveyance suction pad 1220. However, when the positions of the thin plate separating mechanism 1200 and the thin plate stocker 1014 are separated, if the separated thin plate P is transported to the thin plate stocker 1014 by the thin plate transport suction pad 1220 of the thin plate separating mechanism 1200, the time required for the separation step (S40). Increase. The vertical moving rod 1223 and the horizontal moving rod 1224 of the thin plate separating mechanism 1200 are increased in size. Therefore, a mechanism for transporting from the thin plate separating mechanism 1200 to the thin plate stocker 1014 may be provided separately. For example, it is possible to convey the thin plate P from the proximity position of the thin plate separation mechanism 1200 to the thin plate stocker 1014 by a conveyor or the like. In that case, the thin plate conveyance suction pad 1220 is moved to a mechanism for conveying the thin plate P.

  In the third embodiment, when the thin plate P is separated from the base plate S having the gripping structure, a method in which the shear stress applied to the thin plate P is small has been described, but when the thin plate P not having the gripping portion P1 is separated, When the strength of the thin plate P is strong, it is also possible to separate using only the thin plate conveyance suction pad 1220.

  In the third embodiment, the separation method including the grip portion suction pad 1210, the thin plate transport suction pad 1220, and the burr suction pad 1230 has been described. However, other separation methods may be used. As the thin plate separation mechanism 1200, for example, a method of dropping the thin plate P by applying an impact with the thin plate growth surface of the base plate S facing downward may be used.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a base discriminating mechanism in the thin plate manufacturing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a base plate discrimination mechanism. With reference to FIG. 8, the base plate discrimination mechanism will be described. Since other configurations are the same as those of thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 in the first embodiment, description thereof will not be repeated.

  The base plate discriminating mechanism 1300 includes a surface shape measuring device 1310, a camera 1320, a usage history management device 1330, a transport device 1340, and a transport system 1350.

  The surface shape measuring device 1310 is a device that measures the surface of the base plate S. The surface shape measuring device 1310 is disposed above the surface of the substrate S conveyed to the base plate discrimination mechanism 1300.

  The camera 1320 is attached to the surface shape measuring device 1310. The camera 1320 is disposed at a position where the surface of the substrate can be imaged. In the fourth embodiment, the surface of the substrate S is imaged from the side surface of the substrate S, which is arranged on the side of the substrate S.

  The usage history management device 1330 is a device that manages the usage history of the base plate S. The usage history management device 1330 is arranged at a position away from the surface shape measurement device 1310, the camera 1320, and the like.

  The transport device 1340 is a device that transports the determined base S to either the base plate buffer 1012 before mounting or the base plate standby buffer 1013. The transport apparatus 1340 is disposed at a position where the substrate S pushed out from the transport system 1350 can be placed.

  The transport system 1350 is a member having a role of a base of the base plate S when imaged by the camera 1320 and a role of moving the substrate S imaged by the camera 1320 to the transport device 1340. It arrange | positions so that it can move to the conveying apparatus 1340 from the side of the camera 1320.

  Next, the base plate discrimination step (S50) will be described with reference to FIG. The base plate S from which the thin plate P is separated is transported to the base plate discrimination mechanism 1300 by the transport system 1350.

  Since the conveyed base plate S is immersed in the melt 1002, the shape of the surface may deteriorate as the number of immersion steps (S10) and re-immersion steps (S70) increases. Specifically, the growth surface of the base plate S in the present embodiment has bowl-shaped irregularities for crystal growth of the thin plate P, but the number of times of the dipping step (S10) and the re-dipping step (S70) is increased. As the height of the bowl-shaped irregularities decreases. When the height of the bowl-shaped unevenness is reduced, a high quality thin plate P such as silicon is not formed. Therefore, a base plate discrimination step (S50) having a mechanism for discriminating the deterioration of the surface shape of the base plate S or a mechanism for discriminating the base plate S that requires maintenance or replacement from the number of times of continuous use of the base plate S is performed. Thus, the used base plate can be used again by carrying it out of the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 and reworking the surface. Details will be described below.

  First, the surface of the base plate S on which the thin plate P is grown is imaged by the camera 1320 attached to the surface shape measuring device 1310. The surface shape measuring device 1310 confirms whether a part of the thin plate P or a burr remains on the base plate S based on the color difference from the captured image.

  Furthermore, the height of the ridge-like unevenness of the surface on which the thin plate P of the base plate S is grown is measured by a measuring mechanism (not shown) attached to the surface shape measuring device 1310. As the surface shape measurement method, any means such as a triangulation method using laser irradiation, a capacitance method, or a method of performing three-dimensional mapping by changing a focus by camera imaging may be used. Further, a method of measuring only a part of the surface of the base plate S may be used. Thereby, the surface shape measuring apparatus 1310 can be simplified and the measurement time can be shortened.

  Further, the usage history management device 1330 counts the number of times of continuous use of the passing base plate S. The usage history management device 1330 may grasp a position of all the base plates S existing in the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 and may take a method of increasing the number of times of use by one after passing through the base plate discrimination mechanism 1300. A method may be used in which an individual number is assigned to S, the individual number of the base plate S that is passed by the camera 1320 is read, and the number of uses is increased by one.

  Information such as the presence or absence of a part of the thin plate P or the burr B, the height of the bowl-shaped unevenness, the number of continuous use, the position of the base plate S, the individual number, etc. is used via the information transmission path 1331. 1330. Based on these pieces of information, the usage history management device 1330 includes the base plate S on which a part of the thin plate P and burrs remain, the base plate S in which the height of the bowl-shaped unevenness is equal to or less than the specified value, and the specified continuous. It is possible to determine that the base plate S or the like that has exceeded the number of uses is not acceptable.

  As a result of performing the base plate discriminating step (S50), the base plate S that has passed is distributed to the pre-mounting base plate buffer 1012 at the branch position according to the arrow 1341, and for the next re-immersion step (S70). Used for. On the other hand, the rejected base plate S is sent to the base plate standby buffer 1013 at the branch position according to the arrow 1342. At the same time, a new base plate S is transported from the base plate standby buffer 1013 to the base plate buffer 1012 before mounting, whereby the total number of base plates S in the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000 can be kept constant.

  Note that an operation command 1332 to the transfer device 1340 accompanying the above-described base plate branching operation can be issued from the usage history management device 1330.

  By performing the base plate discriminating step (S50) as described above, the base plate S from which the thin plate P is separated is a reuse base plate that can be used as it is for the production of the next thin plate as it is, and a used base plate that requires maintenance or replacement. Can be separated from the main plate. The used base plate is partly removed from the thin plate P and burrs remaining on the surface and the like outside the thin plate manufacturing apparatus 1000. However, if the number of reworking exceeds the allowable value, it must be discarded.

  As described above, since the base plate discriminating step (S50) is performed, the base plate S has a mechanism for discriminating whether burrs B and thin plates P remain, so the separation step (S40) is carried out. In some cases, when the residue such as the burrs B and a part of the thin plate P does not bite into the base plate S such as the digging structure part and does not come off, the next re-immersion step (S70) is not performed as it is. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the melt 1002 from solidifying with the residue on the surface of the substrate S as a starting point and causing cracks due to shape defects or stress concentration of the thin plate P to be produced.

  The above-described embodiment disclosed herein is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  By using the thin plate manufacturing apparatus and the thin plate manufacturing method of the present invention, for example, the amount of inert gas used can be reduced while maintaining the manufacturing amount per unit time of a silicon thin plate. Can be manufactured. Therefore, a large amount of silicon thin plates can be supplied at a low cost, and for example, it is expected to be widely used in the production of silicon thin plates for photovoltaic power generation.

It is the schematic which shows the thin plate manufacturing apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart of the thin plate manufacturing method in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows an example of the baseplate exchange operation | movement in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows operation | movement of the immersion mechanism in the thin plate manufacturing apparatus of Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the operation | movement of the immersion process in the thin plate manufacturing method of Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the thin plate separation mechanism in the thin plate manufacturing apparatus of Embodiment 3 of this invention. The operation | movement of the isolation | separation process in the thin plate manufacturing method of Embodiment 3 of this invention is shown, (A) is the schematic when operating a grip part adsorption pad, (B) is a thin board conveyance adsorption pad and tension It is the schematic when operating a suction pad. It is the schematic which shows the base | substrate discrimination | determination mechanism in the thin plate manufacturing apparatus of Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is the schematic which shows one conventional thin plate manufacturing apparatus. It is the schematic which shows the other conventional thin plate manufacturing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  1000 Thin plate manufacturing apparatus, 1001 Crucible, 1002 Melt, 1003 Base plate replacement mechanism, 1010 Main room, 1011 Base plate buffer before separation, 1012 Base plate buffer before mounting, 1013 Base plate standby buffer, 1014 Thin plate stocker, 1020 Base plate loading Departure chamber, 1021, 1022, 1031, 1032 Gate valve, 1030 Thin plate unloading subchamber, 1100 Immersion mechanism, 1111 Horizontal operation motor, 1112 Horizontal operation shaft, 1121 Lifting operation motor, 1122 Suspension column, 1123 Main column, 1131, Rotation mechanism 1132 Power transmission mechanism, 1141, 1142 Rotating shaft, 1151 Fixed support, 1152 Base, 1160, 1341, 1242 Arrow, 1161 Base plate replacement position, 1200 Thin plate separation mechanism, 1210 Grip adsorption pad, 1211 1221, 1231 suction pad, 1212, 1222, 1232 vacuum line, 1213, 1223 vertical movement rod, 1214, 1224, 1234 horizontal movement rod, 1220 thin plate conveyance suction pad, 1240 fixed base, 1300 base plate discrimination mechanism, 1310 surface shape measurement Device, 1320 Camera, 1330 Usage history management device, 1331 Information transmission path, 1332 Operation command, 1340 Conveyance device, 1350 Conveyance system, S, S1, S2 Base plate, P Thin plate, B Burr.

Claims (16)

An immersion mechanism for immersing the surface of the base plate in the melt and forming a thin plate by solidifying the melt on the surface of the base plate;
A base plate exchange mechanism for removing the base plate with the thin plate attached on the surface from the immersion mechanism;
A thin plate separating mechanism for separating the thin plate from the base plate removed from the immersion mechanism;
A thin plate manufacturing apparatus comprising a main chamber in which the immersion mechanism, the base plate exchanging mechanism, and the thin plate separation mechanism are disposed. Arranged in the main chamber,
The thin plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a pre-separation base plate buffer on which the base plate to which the thin plate formed by the immersion mechanism is attached can be placed. Arranged in the main chamber,
A base plate discriminating mechanism for discriminating the base plate from which the thin plate has been separated by the thin plate separating mechanism into a used base plate to be carried out of the main chamber and a reused base plate to be carried out to the immersion mechanism; Item 3. The thin plate manufacturing apparatus according to Item 1 or 2. Arranged in the main chamber,
The thin plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a base plate standby buffer on which the used base plate determined by the base plate determination mechanism can be placed. Arranged in the main chamber,
The thin plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a pre-mounting base plate buffer on which the reuse base plate determined by the base plate determination mechanism can be placed. Arranged in the main chamber,
The thin plate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a thin plate stocker on which the thin plate separated by the thin plate separation mechanism can be placed. A thin plate manufacturing method for forming a thin plate by immersing the surface of a base plate in a melt and solidifying the melt on the surface of the base plate,
An immersion step of immersing the base plate in the melt;
An extraction step of taking out the base plate to which the thin plate has adhered in the immersion step;
A separation step of separating the thin plate from the base plate taken out in the extraction step;
A re-immersion step in which the base plate separated in the separation step is immersed again in the melt,
The said immersion process, the said extraction process, the said isolation | separation process, and the said re-immersion process are thin plate manufacturing methods implemented in a main chamber.   The thin plate manufacturing method according to claim 7, further comprising a base plate unloading step of unloading the base plate separated in the separation step to the outside of the main room.   The thin plate manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein the base plate unloading step includes a step of unloading the plurality of base plates out of the main room. A further step of mounting the melt raw material,
The method for manufacturing a thin plate according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the base plate carry-out step is carried out when the supplementary step is carried out. A thin plate unloading step of unloading the plurality of thin plates separated in the separation step out of the main chamber;
The thin plate manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein the thin plate unloading step is performed when the additional step is performed.   The thin plate manufacturing method according to claim 7, further comprising a thin plate unloading step of unloading the plurality of thin plates separated in the separation step to the outside of the main chamber. A further step of mounting the melt raw material,
The thin plate manufacturing method according to claim 12, wherein the thin plate unloading step is performed when the melt addition step is performed. Carried out between the extraction step and the separation step,
14. The pre-separation base plate placement step of placing the base plate to which the thin plate taken out in the take-out step is attached on a pre-separation base plate buffer disposed in the main chamber. 14. 2. The method for producing a thin plate according to 1. Performed between the separation step and the re-immersion step,
The thin plate according to any one of claims 7 to 14, further comprising a pre-mounting base plate placing step of placing the base plate separated in the separating step on a pre-mounting base plate buffer disposed in the main chamber. Production method.   A base plate discriminating step for discriminating the base plate from which the thin plate has been separated in the main chamber into a used base plate to be carried out of the main chamber and a reuse base plate to be carried out to the immersion mechanism. Furthermore, the thin plate manufacturing method in any one of Claims 7-15 provided further.

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