WO2015037748A1

WO2015037748A1 - Heat treatment device and heat treatment system comprising same

Info

Publication number: WO2015037748A1
Application number: PCT/KR2013/008138
Authority: WO
Inventors: 이병일; 이영호; 허관선
Original assignee: 주식회사 테라세미콘
Priority date: 2013-09-10
Filing date: 2013-09-10
Publication date: 2015-03-19
Also published as: CN105556651A; JP2016535459A; CN105556651B

Abstract

A heat treatment device and a heat treatment system are disclosed. The heat treatment system according to the present invention has the advantage of reducing cost by forming a main body with a metal material which is relatively low-priced. Also, the concern for damage to an inner body is eliminated by forming the inner main body defining a chamber from a metal material, and gas in the chamber is prevented from leaking out by installing an outer main body so as to surround the inner main body. In addition, the temperature of the inner main body is relatively low compared to the temperature of the chamber, due to installing, inside the inner main body defining the chamber, a first heater which heats substrates. As a result, the inner main body is prevented from corrosion due to gas at a high temperature. In addition, the advantage of improving heating performance is provided by installing the first heater, for heating substrates, inside the inner main body. Also provided are the advantages of preventing condensation of gas on the inner surface of the inner main body by installing, on the outer surface of the inner main body, a second heater for heating the inner main body and a cooling pipe for cooling the inner main body, and of further preventing the inner main body from corrosion due to gas at a high temperature while so doing. Also, the substrates are loaded and stored on a boat, in a plurality, and multiple boats are loaded in the chamber, thus a large quantity of substrates can be treated at once. As a result, the advantage of improving productivity is provided.

Description

Heat treatment device and heat treatment system having same

The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus for forming a CIGS layer by a selenization process and a heat treatment system having the same.

Today, in order to reduce the dependence on depleted fossil fuels, research and development on solar cells that use not only the risk of depletion but also use environmentally friendly solar energy are in progress.

As part of this research and development, CIGS {Cu (In _1-x Ga _x ) Se which has high absorption rate of solar light, little degradation of sunlight or radiation, thin film and low material cost in manufacturing ₂ } A thin film solar cell with a layer was developed.

The thin film solar cell includes a substrate such as glass, an electrode layer which is a positive electrode made of a metal layer formed on the substrate, a p-type CIGS layer formed on the electrode layer and absorbing light, an n-type buffer layer and a buffer layer formed on the CIGS layer. It is a multilayer laminated structure containing the transparent electrode layer which is the formed (-) pole.

Thus, when sunlight enters through the transparent electrode layer serving as the light receiving portion, a pair of excited electrons and holes having a bandgap energy of approximately 1.04 eV are generated near the p-n junction. The excited electrons and holes reach the p-n junction by diffusion, and electrons are collected in the n region and holes are separated in the p region by the internal electric field of the junction.

Then, the n region is negatively charged, the p region is positively charged, and a potential difference occurs between the electrodes formed in each region. Then, when the potential difference is set to electromotive force and the electrodes are connected by conducting wires, a photocurrent is obtained.

A method of forming a CIGS layer of a thin-film solar cell includes a precursor film forming step of forming a precursor film by vacuum sputtering an element of copper, indium, and gallium on an electrode layer formed on a substrate at an appropriate ratio, and selenium in the precursor film thus deposited. Hydrogen (H ₂ Se) gas is passed through a selenization process to apply a temperature to the substrate. According to this series of processes, elements of copper (Cu), indium (In), gallium (Ga) and selenium (Se) form a CIGS {Cu (In _1-x Ga _x ) Se ₂ } layer with an appropriate composition ratio. You can do it.

The selenization process loads the substrate on which the precursor film is formed into a closed chamber, replaces the chamber with an inert gas, introduces hydrogen selenide (H ₂ Se) as a processing gas into the chamber, and then raises the chamber to a predetermined temperature. It is a process of forming a selenized CIGS layer by maintaining it for a predetermined time.

The conventional heat treatment apparatus for forming the CIGS layer has a disadvantage in that the cost increases when manufacturing a chamber for processing a large area substrate with quartz or ceramic.

In addition, since the main body formed of quartz or ceramic may be damaged, gas may leak to the outside due to breakage of the main body. In addition, since the chamber is formed inside a single main body, there is a fear that the gas introduced into the chamber leaks further to the outside.

And since the heater which heats a board | substrate is provided in the exterior of a main body, there existed a disadvantage that a heating performance falls.

In addition, since only one boat in which a plurality of substrates are loaded and stored is loaded and processed in the chamber, there is a disadvantage in that productivity is lowered.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention to provide a heat treatment apparatus and a heat treatment system that can reduce the cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment apparatus and a heat treatment system that can prevent the leakage of gas.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment apparatus and a heat treatment system that can improve heating performance and productivity.

The heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the chamber is a space that is loaded with a plurality of boats each of which is stored a plurality of substrates are formed and the main body is formed with an entrance; A door slidably installed in front, rear, left, and right directions of the main body to open and close the door; And a first heater installed inside the main body to heat the substrate.

In addition, the heat treatment system according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a chamber in which a plurality of substrates each of which is loaded with a plurality of boats are stored in the loading chamber is formed, the front and rear of the main body, the front and rear and left and right of the main body is formed A heat treatment apparatus slidably installed in a direction, the door configured to open and close the entrance and exit, and a first heater installed inside the main body to heat the substrate; A first transporting device that slides the door in the front, rear, left, and right directions of the main body; A second transfer device which transfers the boat to be loaded into or unloaded from the chamber; And a cooling device installed at one side of the heat treatment device to cool the heat treated substrate by receiving the boat from the second transfer device.

The heat treatment apparatus and the heat treatment system according to the present invention has an effect of reducing the cost because the body is formed of a relatively low-cost metal material.

In addition, since the inner body forming the chamber is formed of a metal material, there is no fear of damage, and since the outer body is installed in a form surrounding the inner body, the gas of the chamber is prevented from leaking to the outside.

Further, since the first heater is installed inside the inner body forming the chamber to heat the substrate, the temperature of the inner body is relatively low compared to the temperature of the chamber. For this reason, the internal body is prevented from being corroded by the gas at a high temperature. In addition, since the first heater is installed inside the inner body to heat the substrate, the heating performance is improved.

In addition, since the second heater for heating the inner body and the cooling tube for cooling the inner body are installed on the outer surface of the inner body, it is possible to prevent the gas from adhering to the inner surface of the inner body and at the same time the inner body at a high temperature. There is an effect that can be further prevented from being corroded by the gas.

Since a plurality of substrates are stored in a boat and a plurality of boats are loaded in a chamber, a large number of substrates can be processed at one time. Therefore, there is an effect that productivity is improved.

1 is a perspective view of a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the inner body shown in FIG.

4 is an enlarged view of a portion “A” of FIG. 3.

5 is a perspective view of a heat treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the first transfer device shown in FIG. 5.

7 is an enlarged perspective view of the second transfer device illustrated in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be understood that the various embodiments of the invention, although different from one another, need not be mutually exclusive. For example, certain shapes, structures, and features described herein may be embodied in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in connection with one embodiment. In addition, it is to be understood that the location or arrangement of individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. The length, area, thickness, and shape of the embodiments shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for convenience.

Hereinafter, a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In describing the heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, a CIGS {Cu (In1-xGax) Se ₂ } layer forming apparatus will be described as an example.

1 is a perspective view of a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a partially cutaway exploded perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the inner body shown in FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion “A” of FIG. 3.

As shown, the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a main body 110 forming an appearance. A chamber 110a, which is a space in which a substrate 50 (see FIG. 5) such as glass is loaded and processed, is formed in the main body 110, and an entrance 110b through which the substrate 50 enters and exits is formed in the front surface. .

The main body 110 includes an inner body 111 in which a chamber 110a is formed and an outer body 115 surrounding the inner body 110, and the doorway 110b includes an inner body formed on the front surface of the inner body 111. It includes an entrance 110ba and an exterior entrance 110bb formed on the front surface of the exterior body 115 to face the interior entrance 110ba.

The main body 110 is formed of a metal material. As a result, a large amount of substrate 50 can be easily loaded and processed at a time, and since the main body 110 is not damaged, leakage of gas is prevented and cost is relatively low.

In more detail, the inner body 111 has a plurality of rigid reinforcement supports formed on the outer surface of the inner body 112, the outer case 113 and the outer case 113 is in contact with the outer surface of the inner case 112. Has a rib 114. In addition, the inner housing 112 is aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), nickel alloy, titanium alloy or Si-DLC (Silicon-) having corrosion resistance Diamondlike Carbon) may be formed of any one, and the outer housing 113 may be formed of stainless steel (SUS) or steel (Steel). Support rib 114 is also preferably formed of stainless steel (SUS) or steel (steel).

The outer body 115 may be formed of stainless steel (SUS) or steel (Steel).

The front of the outer body 115 is installed to be slidable in the front and rear and left and right directions of the main body 110 is provided with a door 120 for opening and closing the external entrance (110bb). When the exterior entrance 110bb is closed by the door 120, the chamber 110a is sealed, and when the chamber 110a is opened, the chamber 110a is opened. A sealing member (not shown) may be interposed between the front surface of the door 120 and the outer body 115 so that the outer entrance 110bb is completely sealed by the door 120.

The first heater 130 for heating the substrate 50 may be installed in the inner body 111. More specifically, the first heater 130 is formed in a plate shape is installed on the inner side, front and rear and upper and lower surfaces of the inner body 111, respectively.

For example, assume that the substrate 50 is heated at 500 ° C. By the way, if the first heater 130 for heating the substrate 50 is installed outside the inner body 111, the inner body 111 is heated to 500 ° C or more, the temperature of the chamber 110a is 500 ° C The inner body 111 made of metal is corroded by the corrosive process gas at a predetermined temperature or more.

In order to prevent this, in the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the first heater 130 is installed inside the inner body 111 to directly heat the chamber 110a. That is, since the chamber 110a may be heated to a temperature necessary for heating the substrate 50, the inner body 111 is not heated above the temperature required for heating the substrate 50. Therefore, the inner body 111 is relatively prevented from being corroded by the gas at a high temperature.

In this case, the temperature of the inner body 111 may be prevented from rising by the heat of the chamber 110a through the heat insulating material 135 between the inner body 112 and the first heater 130.

In the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the chamber 110a is formed inside the inner body 111, and the outer body 115 is installed to surround the inner body 111, and thus, the chamber 110a. The introduced gas is prevented from leaking to the outside. In addition, since the first heater 130 is installed inside the inner body 111 to heat the substrate 50, the heating performance is improved.

The outer surface of the inner body 111, more specifically, the second heater 141 may be installed on the outer surface of the outer housing 113 between the support ribs 114 and the support ribs 114. The second heater 141 heats the inner body 111 to prevent the inner body 111 from falling below a predetermined temperature. That is, when the inner body 111 is lowered to a predetermined temperature or less, the process gas may adhere to the inner surface of the inner body 112 of the inner body 111. In order to prevent this, the second heater 141 heats the inner body 111.

The cooling tube 144 is installed on the outer surface of the second heater 141. The cooling tube 144 cools the inner body 111 to prevent the inner body 111 from being corroded by the gas at a high temperature. An insulation plate 147 may be interposed between the second heater 141 and the cooling tube 144.

A plurality of substrates 50 are stored in a boat 500, and a plurality of boats 500 are loaded in the chamber 110a. That is, the substrate 50 is loaded and processed in the chamber 110a while being loaded and stored in the boat 500.

The fan 151 may be installed on the inner surface of the inner body 111. The fan 151 allows a uniform air flow to each substrate 50. In addition, the blocking frame 155 may be installed on the inner body 111 so as to surround the fan 151 so that the air flow forced by the fan 151 may be supplied to the substrate 50.

A heat treatment system using the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. 5 is a perspective view of a heat treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the first transfer device shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the second transfer device shown in FIG. 5. .

As shown, the heat treatment system according to the present embodiment includes a heat treatment apparatus 100, a first transfer apparatus 200, a second transfer apparatus 300, and a cooling apparatus 400.

The first transfer device 200 is installed on one side of the front surface of the main body 110 of the heat treatment apparatus 100 to slide the door 120 in the front and rear and left and right directions of the main body 110. The first transfer device 200 may include a support frame 210, a motor (not shown) and a cylinder (not shown).

The second transfer device 300 is installed at the front side of the main body 110 to transfer the boat 500 loaded with the substrate 50 to be loaded into the chamber 110a (see FIG. 2) or freed from the chamber 110a. Load. The second transfer device 300 is installed on the guide rail 310 (see FIG. 7) and the guide rail 310 installed in parallel with the left and right directions of the main body 110 to move along the guide rail 310 and to the boat 500. ) May include a support frame 320 mounted and supported.

In this case, the portion of the support frame 320 on which the boat 500 is mounted may be stretched in the front and rear direction of the main body 110 to load the boat 500 into the chamber 110a or to unload it from the chamber 110a. .

The portion of the support frame 320 on which the boat 500 is mounted is provided as an inner frame 321, an intermediate frame 323 surrounding the inner frame 321, and an outer frame 325 surrounding the intermediate frame 323, and the middle The frame 323 protrudes outward of the inner frame 321, and the outer frame 325 extends while protruding outward of the intermediate frame 323.

The intermediate frame 323 is inserted into the inner frame 321, and the outer frame 325 is contracted while being inserted into the inner frame 323. That is, the intermediate frame 323 enters and exits the inner frame 321 by a motor (not shown) or a cylinder (not shown), and the outer frame 325 is intermediate by a motor (not shown) or a cylinder (not shown). Since the frame 323 enters and exits, the portion of the support frame 320 on which the boat 500 is mounted is stretched.

The second transfer device 300 for transporting the boat 500 may be replaced by the "boat transfer device" disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0053970 or Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0053971 filed by the present applicant have.

A plurality of boats 500 are loaded into the chamber 110a. That is, since the plurality of boats 500 in which the plurality of substrates 50 are loaded and stored are loaded and processed in the chamber 110a, a large number of substrates 50 may be processed at one time.

The cooling device 400 receives the boat 500 loaded with the processed substrate 50 installed on one side of the front surface of the main body 110 from the second transfer device 300 to cool the substrate 50. The cooling device 400 may use a known cooling device.

The substrate 50 having the electrode layer and a precursor film made of copper, indium, and gallium formed at an appropriate element ratio is supported on the boat 500, and then the boat 500 is loaded into the chamber 110a, and then the chamber 110a is sealed. Let's do it. In this state, nitrogen gas is introduced into the chamber 110a, and selenization gas (H ₂ Se) is injected to form a CIGS layer at a predetermined temperature, and after forming the CIGS layer, a sulfide gas ( H ₂ S) is injected to treat the CIGS layer formed on the substrate 50.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments as described above by way of example, it is not limited to the above embodiments and should be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Many variations and modifications are possible. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the invention and the appended claims.

Claims

A main body in which a chamber, which is a space in which a plurality of boats in which a plurality of substrates are loaded and stored, is formed and a front door is formed;

A door slidably installed in front, rear, left, and right directions of the main body to open and close the door; And

And a first heater installed inside the main body to heat the substrate.
The method of claim 1,

The main body is formed of a metal material and includes an inner body in which the chamber is formed and an outer body surrounding the inner body,

The inlet and outlet is a heat treatment apparatus characterized in that it comprises an inner entrance formed on the front of the inner body and the outer entrance formed on the front of the outer body to face the inner entrance.
The method of claim 2,

The inner body has an inner enclosure, an outer enclosure contacted to an outer surface of the inner enclosure, and a plurality of support ribs formed on an outer surface of the outer enclosure,

The inner enclosure is formed of any one selected from aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), nickel alloys, titanium alloys or Si-DLC (Silicon-Diamondlike Carbon). Become,

The outer case and the support rib is a heat treatment apparatus, characterized in that formed of any one selected from stainless steel (SUS) or steel (steel).
The method of claim 3,

The first heater is formed in a plate shape, the heat treatment apparatus, characterized in that installed on the inner side, front and rear and upper and lower surfaces of the inner enclosure.
The method of claim 4, wherein

Heat treatment device, characterized in that the insulating material is interposed between the inner housing and the first heater.
The method of claim 5,

On the outer surface of the outer housing is provided a second heater for heating the inner body,

A plurality of cooling tubes are installed on the outer surface of the second heater,

And a heat insulation plate is interposed between the second heater and the cooling tube.
The method of claim 2,

Heat treatment apparatus, characterized in that the fan is installed inside the inner body to form a uniform air flow.
The method of claim 7, wherein

The inner body is a heat treatment apparatus characterized in that the blocking frame is formed so as to guide the air flow flowing by the fan to the substrate side.
A chamber, which is a space in which a plurality of boats are loaded and loaded with a plurality of substrates, is formed, and a main body having an entrance is formed on a front surface thereof, and a door that is slidably installed in the front and rear and left and right directions of the main body to open and close the door. A heat treatment apparatus having a first heater installed inside the substrate to heat the substrate;

A first transporting device that slides the door in the front, rear, left, and right directions of the main body;

A second transfer device which transfers the boat to be loaded into or unloaded from the chamber; And

And a cooling device installed at one side of the heat treatment device and cooling the substrate which is heat-treated by receiving the boat from the second transfer device.
The method of claim 9,

The main body is formed of a metal material and includes an inner body in which the chamber is formed and an outer body surrounding the inner body,

The inlet and outlet is a heat treatment system characterized in that it comprises an inner entrance formed in the front of the inner body and the outer entrance formed in the front of the outer body to face the inner entrance.
The method of claim 10,

The inner body has an inner enclosure, an outer enclosure contacted to an outer surface of the inner enclosure, and a plurality of support ribs formed on an outer surface of the outer enclosure,

The inner enclosure is formed of any one selected from aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), nickel alloys, titanium alloys or Si-DLC (Silicon-Diamondlike Carbon). Become,

The outer case and the support rib is a heat treatment system, characterized in that formed of any one selected from stainless steel (SUS) or steel (steel).
The method of claim 11,

The first heater is formed in a plate shape, the heat treatment system, characterized in that installed on the inner side, front and rear and top and bottom of the inner enclosure.
The method of claim 12,

Heat treatment system, characterized in that the insulating material is interposed between the inner housing and the first heater.
The method of claim 13,

On the outer surface of the outer housing is provided a second heater for heating the inner body,

A plurality of cooling tubes are installed on the outer surface of the second heater,

And a heat insulation plate is interposed between the second heater and the cooling tube.
The method of claim 10,

Heat treatment system, characterized in that the fan is installed inside the inner body to form a uniform air flow.
The method of claim 15,

Heat treatment system, characterized in that the inner body is formed with a blocking frame for guiding the air flow flowing by the fan to the substrate side.
The method of claim 9,

The second conveying apparatus includes a guide rail installed in parallel with the left and right directions of the main body;

Is installed on the guide rail and moves along the guide rail and includes a support frame on which the boat is mounted and supported,

The portion of the support frame on which the boat is mounted is characterized in that it is stretched in the front and rear direction of the body.
The method of claim 17,

The portion of the support frame on which the boat is mounted may be an inner frame, an intermediate frame installed to enclose the inner frame to access the inner frame, and an outer frame installed to enclose the intermediate frame to access the intermediate frame. Heat treatment system comprising a.