Client Background & Challenges
A leading photovoltaic equipment and semiconductor device manufacturer needed a drive solution for silicon crystal growth furnaces operating at 10⁻⁵ Pa vacuum and 200 °C. Conventional motors suffered outgassing, poor heat dissipation and early failure, while the process demanded vibration-free rotation and pulling motion to guarantee wafer thickness uniformity — all inside a fully stainless steel, clean structure.
Solution
Rather than offering a generic replacement, our engineers ran a nearly one-year co-development program:
- Low-outgassing design — special materials and vacuum sealing eliminate internal contamination sources at 10⁻⁵ Pa.
- Thermal design — optimized magnetic circuit and windings prevent demagnetization and burnout at 200 °C.
- Full stainless steel body — enclosed circular shell meeting vacuum hygiene and corrosion-resistance requirements.
- Low-speed pulsation optimization — absolutely uniform rotation during long crystal growth cycles.
Results
- Continuous failure-free operation under 10⁻⁵ Pa vacuum at 200 °C in 24/7 production.
- Direct improvement in silicon ingot quality and wafer thickness uniformity.
- From trial to mass production: 1,000+ motors installed as the core standard power unit of the furnaces.
