1. Industry Background
A single crystal furnace is a device that melts polycrystalline materials such as polycrystalline silicon in an inert gas environment (mainly nitrogen and helium) using a graphite heater, and grows dislocation-free single crystals using the Czochralski method. High-purity polycrystalline silicon is obtained by processing silicon material, which is then placed in a single crystal furnace to grow single crystal silicon. The preparation of single crystal silicon in a single crystal furnace is the first step in semiconductor manufacturing. The resulting single crystal silicon is used to manufacture silicon wafers; therefore, single crystal furnaces play a crucial role in the semiconductor industry.
Single-crystal silicon can be prepared using the zone melting method and the Czochralski method. The Czochralski method can grow high-purity single-crystal silicon and is the mainstream manufacturing process used in the semiconductor industry. With the continuous development and expansion of the global semiconductor industry, the market demand for single-crystal furnaces is constantly growing, reaching approximately 12.8 billion yuan in 2021. my country's semiconductor industry is developing extremely rapidly, with the rise of wafer fab construction and the increasing number of production lines, driving a rapid increase in market demand for high-purity single-crystal silicon. Against this backdrop, my country's single-crystal furnace industry is ushering in a period of development opportunities.
2. Process Introduction
As shown in the figure above, the single crystal furnace has a relatively complex set of operating processes. Various operations such as lifting, rotating and positioning the crucible, raising and lowering and opening the main and auxiliary chambers of the furnace body, and raising and lowering the heat shield all need to be completed on the touch screen. At the same time, the single crystal furnace equipment is relatively high, and the operator needs to climb up to observe the equipment while operating the touch screen. Therefore, a movable operating handle is crucial.
In addition, monocrystalline silicon is extremely expensive during mobile operations. If any abnormality occurs during the operation of each process, an emergency stop function is required to avoid greater economic losses. All operation logs need to be recorded to form historical reports for later traceability.
Meanwhile, single crystal furnace equipment is relatively complex to control and involves many processes, often using large and medium-sized brand PLCs such as Siemens and Beckhoff. Therefore, the touch screen also needs to support tag communication with large and medium-sized PLCs to make the engineering process more convenient and faster.
3. Stepco Solutions
Basic specifications: 7" TFT, 800×480 pixels, 16.77 million true colors;
Standard configuration: 10 programmable function keys, 1 three-way selector switch, and 1 emergency stop switch, suitable for applications with high safety requirements;
Practical design: Combining buttons and touch controls, it offers wider application and more flexible options;
Durability: The mobile handheld terminal comes standard with a 5-meter cable (10-meter and 15-meter options available), and the cable can be a flexible spring wire for long lifespan;
Easy installation: Supports VESA standard (75×75mm hole spacing) brackets and hangers, making it convenient for operators to carry.
4. Features of the scheme
The handheld screen product design allows the touchscreen device to be moved freely, facilitating debugging.
Equipped with an emergency stop switch to ensure safety and reliability;
The touchscreen panel is equipped with multiple programmable buttons, allowing for flexible application and more convenient operation;
Supports tag communication protocols for large and medium-sized PLCs such as Siemens and Beckhoff, making configuration development more efficient;
It supports operation log recording, data sampling, generation of report curves, and export of data table files.
