System for the heat treatment of substrates, and method for detecting measurement data in said system

• US 9,466,514 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rehm Thermal Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: Rehm Thermal Systems GmbH
• Inventors: Burkhardt, Jochen, Gaggioli, Milo
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US14/124,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20140147798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 9/40 Arrangements of controlling or monitoring devices
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 19/00 Arrangements of controlling devices
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 21/0014 Devices for monitoring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67098 Apparatus for thermal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67115 mainly by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67173 in-line arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67248 Temperature monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67745 characterized by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68 for positioning, orientation or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/681 using optical controlling means

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (100) for the heat treatment of substrates and to a method for recording measurement data in said device, where said device (100) comprises at least one heatable chamber (102), a carrier system (108), a sensor assembly (112), and an actuator (111) that is independent of the carrier system (108). The carrier system (108) is designed to carry substrates, whereas the sensor assembly (112) is further configured for coupling to a data recording and/or data storage device (130). The actuator (111) is coupled to the sensor assembly (112) and is configured to position the sensor assembly (112) within the heatable chamber (102).

Claims

1. Device for the heat treatment of substrates, comprising:

at least one heatable chamber that is a continuous furnace,

a carrier system being adapted to carry substrates, where said carrier system is formed as a transport system,

a sensor assembly configured for coupling to a data recording and/or data storage device, wherein said sensor assembly is disposed on a substrate formed of silicon or material having thermal properties similar to silicon,

an actuator that is independent of said carrier system and coupled to said sensor assembly and is configured to move and position said sensor assembly within said heatable chamber; and

a control device which is configured for electro-mechanical control of said actuator, so that said sensor assembly can be moved and positioned along at least one predetermined travel path,

where said at least one predetermined travel path extends along a direction which is oriented perpendicular to a direction of passage, and perpendicular to a substrate surface of substrates carried by the carrier system.

2. Device according to claim 1, where said travel path further extends along a direction which is oriented parallel or antiparallel to a direction of passage.

3. Device according to claim 1, where said control device is configured to continuously move said sensor assembly.

4. Device according to claim 1, where said control device is configured to move said sensor assembly stepwise.

5. Device according to claim 1, where said carrier system is formed as a chain-guided transport system.

6. Device according to claim 1, further comprising a telescopically extendable device, at the one end of which said sensor assembly is arranged and which is connected to said actuator.

7. Device according to claim 1, where said sensor assembly comprises at least one temperature sensor and/or at least one vibration sensor and/or at least one flow sensor and/or at least one light sensor.

8. Device according to claim 7, where said sensor assembly comprises a thermocouple.

9. Device according to claim 7, where said sensor assembly comprises a linear array of thermocouples.

10. Device according to claim 7, where said sensor assembly comprises a two-dimensional array of thermocouples in a plane.

11. Device according to claim 1, where a heat-resistant shielding body is arranged between said actuator and said sensor assembly.

12. Device according to claim 1, where said actuator is configured to rotate said sensor assembly about an axis.

13. Device according to claim 1, where said actuator comprises an XYZ linear positioning system.

14. Device according to claim 1, where said actuator comprises at least one linear bearing and/or one sliding bearing.

15. Device according to claim 1, further comprising an encoder that is configured to determine the positions of said sensor assembly.

16. Device according to claim 1, where said actuator is disposed at an inlet and/or outlet of at least one heatable chamber and said sensor assembly can be moved into said chamber or be moved out of said chamber.

17. Device according to claim 1, where said device is a drying and/or firing device in a metallization device for the production of solar cells or is a hybrid furnace.

18. Method for recording measurement data in a device for the heat treatment of substrates according to claim 1, said method comprising:

introducing substrates to be treated into said device,

conveying said substrates along a direction of passage, and

positioning said sensor assembly within said heatable chamber,

wherein said sensor assembly is positioned longitudinally along said direction of passage and/or transverse to said direction of passage.

19. Method according to claim 18, wherein positioning longitudinally along said direction of passage is effected such that said sensor assembly is moved with said substrates to be conveyed along said direction of passage.

20. Method according to claim 18, wherein reading-out and/or recording at least one measurement signal provided by said sensor assembly is performed as long as said sensor assembly is positioned between two immediately consecutive substrates.

21. Method according to claim 18, wherein positioning said sensor assembly and reading-out and/or recording at least one measurement signal provided by said sensor assembly is performed alternatingly.

22. Method according to claim 18, further comprising:

controlling said device in dependency of at least one measurement signal provided by said sensor assembly.

23. Method according to claim 18, further comprising:

determining the position of said sensor assembly, and

storing position data of said sensor assembly in a non-volatile memory device.