CN215163103U - Reaction chamber and furnace tube equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model discloses a reaction chamber and boiler tube equipment, wherein, the reaction chamber, include: the furnace body is provided with a first cavity which is communicated along the axial direction; the first furnace tube is accommodated in the first cavity and is made of stainless steel, and the first furnace tube is provided with a second cavity which is communicated along the axial direction; the supporting parts are arranged at two axial ends of the first furnace tube respectively and support the first furnace tube; the cover part is arranged at one axial end of the first furnace tube and used for plugging the second cavity; and the door part is arranged at the other axial end of the first furnace tube and used for plugging the second cavity or opening the second cavity. According to the utility model discloses a reaction chamber, the cost that can greatly reduced boiler tube processing and maintain, and then reduce the cost of reaction chamber.

Description

Reaction chamber and furnace tube equipment

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a but not limited to photovoltaic cell makes technical field, especially relates to reaction chamber and boiler tube equipment.

Background

Photovoltaic power generation is generally considered to be an industry with great development prospects. A solar photovoltaic cell (hereinafter referred to as a photovoltaic cell) is a cell that converts solar energy into electric energy, and is one of core components of photovoltaic power generation. In the manufacturing process of the photovoltaic cell, the furnace tube device is one of the core devices. Furnace equipment includes diffusion furnaces, oxidation furnaces, annealing furnaces, PECVD, LPCVD, and the like, and is widely used as a reaction chamber for processes such as diffusion, oxidation, annealing, deposition, and the like of photovoltaic cells.

The reaction chamber of the known furnace tube equipment is generally made of quartz tubes, because the quartz has the advantages of excellent high-temperature strength, small thermal expansion coefficient, corrosion resistance and the like. However, the quartz tube also has some problems, for example, the quartz tube is expensive but short in life, and is difficult to repair after breakage due to its brittle characteristics, and is very expensive even if repairable.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The present invention is directed to at least one of the problems of the known art. Therefore, the utility model provides a reaction chamber, can greatly reduced cost. Furthermore, the utility model also provides a boiler tube equipment that has this reaction chamber.

According to the utility model discloses reaction chamber of first aspect embodiment includes: the furnace body is provided with a first cavity which is communicated along the axial direction; the first furnace tube is accommodated in the first cavity and is made of stainless steel, and the first furnace tube is provided with a second cavity which is communicated along the axial direction; the supporting parts are arranged at two axial ends of the first furnace tube respectively and support the first furnace tube; the cover part is arranged at one axial end of the first furnace tube and used for plugging the second cavity; and the door part is arranged at the other axial end of the first furnace tube and used for plugging the second cavity or opening the second cavity.

According to the utility model discloses the reaction chamber of first aspect has following beneficial effect at least: because the first furnace tube is made of stainless steel, the furnace tube can be easily processed and maintained, so that the processing and maintenance cost of the furnace tube can be greatly reduced, and the cost of the reaction chamber is further reduced.

In some embodiments, the first furnace tube is made of 304 stainless steel, 309S stainless steel, 309L stainless steel, 310S stainless steel, 310L stainless steel or 316L stainless steel.

In some embodiments, the first furnace tube has a wall thickness of 0.8mm to 6 mm.

In some embodiments, the cross-section of the first furnace tube is circular or rectangular.

In some embodiments, the device further comprises a pipe portion extending into the second cavity through the cover portion.

In some embodiments, the conduit portion comprises a plurality of tubes, and the material of the tubes is quartz material or stainless steel material.

In some embodiments, the conduit portion comprises a cooling tube.

In some embodiments, the pipeline portion includes an air inlet pipe, and the air inlet pipe is provided with a plurality of air inlet holes along the axial direction.

In some embodiments, the pipeline portion includes an air exhaust pipe, and the air exhaust pipe is provided with a plurality of air exhaust holes along an axial direction.

In some embodiments, a sleeve is disposed on an inner wall of the first furnace tube, and the tube is supported by the sleeve in the second cavity.

In some embodiments, the reaction chamber is a reaction chamber of a PECVD apparatus, and the first furnace tube is grounded through a series resistance.

In some embodiments, the reaction chamber has a double-furnace structure, and the reaction chamber further includes a second furnace tube, the second furnace tube is provided with a third cavity penetrating along the axial direction, the second furnace tube is accommodated in the first cavity, and the first furnace tube is accommodated in the third cavity.

According to the utility model discloses furnace tube equipment of second aspect embodiment, including the reaction chamber of any one of the aforesaid.

According to the utility model discloses furnace tube equipment of second aspect has following beneficial effect at least: because the first furnace tube is made of stainless steel, the furnace tube can be easily processed and maintained, so that the processing and maintenance cost of the furnace tube can be greatly reduced, and the cost of furnace tube equipment is further reduced.

In some embodiments, the furnace further comprises a graphite boat which can be pushed into the first furnace tube or pushed out of the first furnace tube, and an insulating piece is arranged at a boat foot of the graphite boat.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic axial sectional view of a reaction chamber according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged view of a point a in fig. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a reaction chamber.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a reaction chamber.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view in axial cross section of another embodiment of a reaction chamber.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a furnace tube apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar function throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are exemplary only for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated with respect to the orientation description, such as up, down, front, rear, left, right, etc., is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for convenience of description and simplification of description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus, should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, a plurality of means are one or more, a plurality of means are two or more, and the terms greater than, less than, exceeding, etc. are understood as not including the number, and the terms greater than, less than, within, etc. are understood as including the number. If the first and second are described for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, they are not to be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated or implicitly indicating the precedence of the technical features indicated.

In the description of the present invention, unless there is an explicit limitation, the words such as setting, installation, connection, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above words in combination with the specific contents of the technical solution.

For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar components.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a reaction chamber 100 in an axial cross section, and fig. 2 is a partially enlarged view at a in fig. 1. Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a reaction chamber 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a furnace body 101, a first furnace pipe 102, a support part 103, a cover part 104 and a door part 105, wherein the furnace body 101 is provided with a first cavity 106 penetrating along the axial direction; the first furnace tube 102 is accommodated in the first cavity 106, the first furnace tube 102 is made of stainless steel, and the first furnace tube 102 is provided with a second cavity 107 which is through along the axial direction; the support parts 103 are at least two, are respectively arranged at two axial ends of the first furnace pipe 102, and support the first furnace pipe 102; the cover 104 is provided at one axial end of the first furnace pipe 102 to close the second cavity 107; the gate 105 is provided at the other end of the first furnace pipe 102 in the axial direction, and closes the second chamber 107 or opens the second chamber 107.

In the present embodiment, since the first furnace tube 102 is made of stainless steel, the furnace tube can be easily processed and maintained, and thus the processing and maintenance costs of the furnace tube can be greatly reduced, and the cost of the reaction chamber 100 can be reduced. For example, the furnace tube may be processed by bending, welding, cold drawing, hot extrusion, or other processes during processing, and when the furnace tube needs to be repaired, the furnace tube may be repaired by welding, for example, thereby greatly reducing the cost of furnace tube processing and maintenance.

In addition, as various new manufacturing processes have been developed, more and more specialty gases (borane, hydrogen, TMA, etc.) are used in the reaction chamber, and the stainless steel furnace tube can avoid the brittle characteristic of the conventional quartz tube, so that the risk of cracking of the furnace tube when the concentration of the specialty gas in the reaction chamber exceeds a certain level can be greatly reduced.

Further, even if the furnace tube has a small crack, repair and maintenance can be performed by a known processing method such as welding.

It is conceivable that, although the first furnace tube 102 is described above as being accommodated in the first cavity 106 of the furnace body 101, the axial length of the first furnace tube 102 and the furnace body 101 is not limited, and for example, the first furnace tube 102 may be disposed such that both ends thereof in the axial direction protrude from both ends of the furnace body 101 in the axial direction. Further, a heating coil (not shown) is provided inside the furnace body 101 to heat the first furnace tubes 102, and a stainless steel material (not shown) is wrapped around the outer periphery of the furnace body 101.

It is conceivable that the support portion 103 may include, for example, a flange member 108, and both ends of the first furnace pipe 102 in the axial direction are respectively fitted in inner rings of the flange member 108. Between the inner ring of the flange member 108 and the first furnace pipe 102, a sealing ring 109 is provided to seal the second chamber 107. In addition, in order to facilitate the mounting and dismounting of the support 103, each support 103 may include a plurality of flange members 108, and specifically, for example, one end of the first furnace pipe 102 in the axial direction is provided with two flange members 108, the two flange members 108 are connected by bolts, for example, and further, a sealing ring 109 is also provided between the two flange members 108 to seal the second cavity 107. Similarly, two flange members 108 may be provided at the other axial end of the first furnace pipe 102, and a seal ring 109 may be provided between the two flange members 108 to seal the second chamber 107. In addition, a water cooling passage 110 is provided in each flange member 108 to cool the seal ring 109.

It is contemplated that the cover 104 may include, for example, a cover plate 111, the cover plate 111 being disposed at the furnace tail end 102a of the first furnace tube 102 and fixedly coupled to the flange member 108 of the support portion 103 also at the tail end of the first furnace tube 102. An exhaust tube 112 such as a vacuum pump may be mounted on the cover plate 111. The cover 111 may be provided with a duct portion 113 (described later).

It is contemplated that the door portion 105 may include, for example, an oven door 114, the oven door 114 being disposed at the mouth end 102b of the first oven tube 102 and being movably connected to the flange member 108 of the support 103 also at the mouth end 102b of the first oven tube 102, such as by a hinge or the like. When the door 114 is opened, an object to be processed, for example, silicon wafers (not shown) carried by the boat 115, is pushed into the second chamber 107 or pushed out of the second chamber 107 by the boat pushing device 201 (refer to fig. 6). When the furnace door 114 is closed, the second chamber 107 forms a closed space, thereby forming a reaction chamber for an object, and the object (e.g., a silicon wafer) is subjected to process preparation (e.g., coating, etc.) in the reaction chamber.

In some embodiments, to select suitable stainless steel materials for different processes, the first furnace tube 102 is made of 304 stainless steel, 309S stainless steel, 309L stainless steel, 310S stainless steel, 310L stainless steel or 316L stainless steel. Specifically, for example, in the case where the maximum operating temperature is about 800 ℃, and the long-term use temperature is not generally more than 400 ℃, such as ALD coating, zinc oxide coating, and the like in photovoltaic cell manufacturing, for example, 304 stainless steel, 309S stainless steel, 316L stainless steel, and the like can be selected. Under the condition that the maximum temperature is about 1200 ℃ and the long-term use temperature is not more than 950 ℃, such as PECVD, LPCVD and other processes, and the like, 310 stainless steel, 310S stainless steel and the like can be selected. Therefore, the stainless steel material has the advantages of heat resistance and corrosion resistance, and the stainless steel furnace tube can be used for replacing a quartz tube under many working conditions of manufacturing the photovoltaic cell.

In some embodiments, to ensure the strength of the first furnace tube 102 and reduce the weight of the first furnace tube 102, the wall thickness of the first furnace tube 102 is 0.8mm to 6 mm. Specifically, by setting the wall thickness of the first furnace tube 102 to 0.8mm or more, it is possible to ensure that the slide boat 115 is not seriously deformed when placed in the first furnace tube 102 or when vacuumized. Further, by setting the wall thickness of the first furnace tube 102 to 6mm or less, the weight of the furnace tube can be reduced, and the installation or maintenance can be facilitated.

Fig. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a cross-section of an embodiment of the reaction chamber 100, and fig. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a cross-section of another embodiment of the reaction chamber 100, which is positioned for convenience of illustration in fig. 3 and 4, and in which hatching of the respective parts is omitted, referring to fig. 3 and 4, and in some embodiments, the cross-section of the first furnace pipe 102 has a circular shape (refer to fig. 4) or a rectangular shape (refer to fig. 3). Specifically, since the first furnace tube 102 is made of a stainless steel material and can be formed by bending, welding, or the like, the first furnace tube 102 can be provided in different cross-sectional shapes, for example, a circular shape or a rectangular shape, and the rectangular shape includes, for example, a rectangular shape and a square shape, as necessary. In addition, when the cross section of the first furnace tube 102 is rectangular, for example, a fillet 116 is provided at the intersection of the surfaces, thereby facilitating the processing of the first furnace tube 102, facilitating the heating coil inside the furnace body 101 to heat the first furnace tube 102, and preventing the heating coil from being burnt. In addition, although the cross section of the first furnace tube 102 has been described as being circular or rectangular, the present invention is not limited thereto, and, for example, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, or other cross-sectional shapes may be selected as the cross section of the first furnace tube 102, if necessary.

With continued reference to fig. 1 and 2, in some embodiments, the device further includes a pipe portion 113, and the pipe portion 113 extends into the second cavity 107 through the cover 104. Specifically, the pipeline portion 113 may include a plurality of pipes 117, and the plurality of pipes 117 respectively penetrate through the cover plate 111 of the cover portion 104 and extend into the second cavity 107 along the axial direction of the first furnace tube 102. The kind and number of the pipe 117 are not particularly limited, and may include, for example, an intake pipe 117b, a heating pipe, a cooling pipe, a temperature measuring pipe 117a (thermocouple), and the like. Further, the material of the pipe 117 may be selected, for example, from a quartz material or a stainless material, and when the stainless material is selected, it may be selected with reference to the stainless material of the first furnace pipe 102.

Each type of pipe 117 is explained below.

Taking the temperature measuring tube 117a as an example, the thermocouple as the temperature measuring tube 117a can be disposed in any place in the second chamber 107 where temperature measurement is required, so as to control the temperature in the reaction chamber in cooperation with the temperature control device of the furnace apparatus 200.

Taking the air inlet tube 117b as an example, the air inlet tube 117b may include a plurality of air inlets (not shown) axially opened on each air inlet tube 117 b. The intervals and the diameters of the gas inlet holes may be the same or different to adjust the uniformity of the gas concentration in the reaction chamber 100. The gas inlet pipes 117b pass through the cover plates 111 of the cover 104 and enter the second chamber 107 from the furnace tail end 102a of the first furnace tube 102. In addition, the gas inlet pipe 117b may be configured to be extendable and retractable in the axial direction of the first furnace tube 102, so that the gas inlet position of the gas inlet pipe 117b may be flexibly adjusted, and uniform gas may be achieved at each position in the reaction chamber. In addition, the air inlet pipe 117b may enter the second chamber 107 in a radial direction of the flange member 108.

Similarly, the air exhaust pipe (not shown) may also be disposed with reference to the air inlet pipe 117b, that is, the air exhaust pipe may also include a plurality of pipes, and each pipe has a plurality of air exhaust holes along the axial direction.

Taking a cooling pipe (not shown) as an example, in order to achieve rapid cooling of the reaction chamber, the cooling pipe may be made of, for example, stainless steel, and the shape of the cooling pipe may be matched according to the cross-sectional shape of the first furnace pipe 102, for example, a U-shape or a spiral shape may be provided. Through setting up the cooling pipe fitting in the reaction chamber, can significantly reduce process time, for example, in the equipment of two unifications of PECVD aluminium oxide and silicon nitride, the process temperature of aluminium oxide coating film is low, and the process temperature of silicon nitride coating film is high, and when changing from silicon nitride to aluminium oxide, the cooling time can be longer, through setting up the cooling pipe fitting, can realize the rapid cooling of reaction chamber, can reduce process time from this.

Similarly, heating pipes (not shown) may also be provided with reference to cooling pipes.

In some embodiments, to support each tube 117 extending into the second chamber 107, a ferrule 118 is disposed on the inner wall 102c of the first furnace 102, and the tube 117 is supported by the ferrule 118 in the second chamber 107. Specifically, the ferrule 118 may be selected from a stainless steel material, for example, and welded, for example, to the inner wall 102c of the second furnace tube 120, thereby facilitating securing the ferrule 118 to the inner wall 102c of the first furnace tube 102. In addition, when the operating temperature is about 400 ℃ or lower, the ferrule 118 may be made of a metal material such as aircraft aluminum. The number and position of the ferrules 118 are not particularly limited and may be adapted according to the number and position of the respective pipes 117. The shape of the ferrule 118 is not particularly limited as long as the ferrule can support the respective pipes 117, and for example, the ferrule 118 may be provided with support holes (not shown), and the pipes 117 may be supported by the ferrule 118 by being inserted through the support holes of the ferrule 118. By providing the collar 118 on the inner wall 102c of the first furnace pipe 102, both ends of each pipe 117 in the axial direction can be supported together with the cover plate 111 of the lid portion 104, and the mountability and maintainability of each pipe 117 can be improved.

In some embodiments, for example, in the case where the reaction chamber 100 is a reaction chamber of a PECVD apparatus, the first furnace 102 is grounded through a series resistor 119 in order to ensure the discharge quality of the first furnace 102. Specifically, in order to prevent the first furnace tube 102 from accommodating electrons to a certain extent and generating electromotive force, prevent plasma from losing to a certain extent, and reduce adverse effects on the discharge process, a resistor 119 connected in series is arranged between the first furnace tube 102 made of stainless steel and the ground wire, and current limitation is realized through the resistor 119, so that the discharge quality can be ensured at least to a certain extent. In addition, for example, in a device other than the PEVCD device, since the discharge is not necessary, the first furnace tube 102 may be directly grounded.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view in axial cross section of another embodiment of the reaction chamber 100. Referring to fig. 5, in the above embodiments, the reaction chamber 100 having the first furnace tube 102 is taken as an example for explanation, but the invention is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the reaction chamber 100 is, for example, a double-furnace structure, the reaction chamber 100 may further include a second furnace tube 120, the second furnace tube 120 is provided with a third cavity 121 that penetrates along the axial direction, the second furnace tube 120 is accommodated in the first cavity 106, and the first furnace tube 102 is accommodated in the third cavity 121. Specifically, the second furnace tube 120 may be a quartz tube, or may also be a stainless steel material.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a furnace tube apparatus 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, with continued reference to FIG. 1, the reaction chamber 100 of the above embodiments can be applied to a furnace tube apparatus 200. Specifically, the furnace tube apparatus 200 according to the second aspect of the present invention may include any one of the reaction chambers 100 described above.

In the present embodiment, by using the reaction chamber 100 of each of the above embodiments, since the material of the first furnace tube 102 of the reaction chamber 100 is selected from stainless steel, the furnace tube can be easily processed and maintained, and thus the processing and maintenance costs of the furnace tube can be greatly reduced, and the cost of the furnace tube facility 200 can be reduced.

It is contemplated that furnace tube apparatus 200 can be, for example, a horizontal tube vacuum reaction furnace used in photovoltaic cell manufacturing, including, for example, PECVD, LPCVD, ALD, oxidation furnaces, annealing furnaces, and the like.

For example, furnace tube apparatus 200, can comprise: a reaction chamber 100, a slide boat 115, a boat pushing device 201, a vacuum system part 202, a gas source control part 203, etc. The slide boat 115 is used for carrying silicon wafers and can be pushed into the first furnace tube 102 or pushed out of the first furnace tube 102; the boat pushing device 201 is used for pushing the slide boat 115 into the reaction chamber 100 or pushing the slide boat out of the reaction chamber 100; the vacuum system part 202 is used to control the pressure in the reaction chamber 100; the gas source controller 203 is used to introduce process gas into the reaction chamber 100.

Specifically, the carrier boat 115 may be, for example, a quartz boat or a graphite boat, and in the case that the carrier boat 115 is a graphite boat and is used in a PECVD apparatus, since the first furnace tube 102 is made of stainless steel, boat legs of the graphite boat are conducted with each other, which may cause a substantial reduction in impedance of the graphite boat, and further cause a failure of the rf discharge process, and therefore, an insulating member (not shown) needs to be disposed at the boat legs of the graphite boat, a material of the insulating member is not particularly limited, and for example, a quartz material or a ceramic material may be selected.

Referring to fig. 3 and 6, in some embodiments, in order to save space of the furnace apparatus 200, the cross section of the first furnace tube 102 is rectangular; the furnace tube apparatus 200 further includes a paddle 204, the paddle 204 includes two pieces, one end of the paddle 204 is respectively mounted on the boat pushing device 201, and the other end of the paddle 204 respectively bears two lateral sides of the slide boat 115, and pushes the slide boat 115 into the first furnace tube 102 or out of the first furnace tube 102. In the present embodiment, since the first furnace tube 102 is made of a stainless steel material, the cross section of the first furnace tube 102 can be easily formed in a rectangular shape, and the space in the height direction of the furnace tube apparatus 200 can be saved, and further, since the paddle 204 is provided on both sides of the slide boat 115 in the lateral direction (the left-right direction in fig. 3), the space in the height direction of the furnace tube apparatus 200 can be further saved.

While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims (14)

1. A reaction chamber, comprising:

the furnace body is provided with a first cavity which is communicated along the axial direction;

the first furnace tube is accommodated in the first cavity and is made of stainless steel, and the first furnace tube is provided with a second cavity which is communicated along the axial direction;

the supporting parts are arranged at two axial ends of the first furnace tube respectively and support the first furnace tube;

the cover part is arranged at one axial end of the first furnace tube and used for plugging the second cavity;

and the door part is arranged at the other axial end of the first furnace tube and used for plugging the second cavity or opening the second cavity.

2. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the first furnace tube is made of 304 stainless steel, 309S stainless steel, 309L stainless steel, 310S stainless steel, 310L stainless steel or 316L stainless steel.

3. The reaction chamber of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first furnace tube has a wall thickness of 0.8mm to 6 mm.

4. The reaction chamber of claim 1 or 2, wherein the cross-section of the first furnace tube is circular or rectangular.

5. The reaction chamber of claim 1 further comprising a conduit portion extending through the cover portion into the second cavity.

6. The reaction chamber as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pipe part comprises a plurality of pipes, and the material of the pipes is quartz material or stainless steel material.

7. The reaction chamber of claim 5 wherein the conduit portion comprises cooling tubing.

8. The reaction chamber as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pipe portion comprises an air inlet pipe, and the air inlet pipe is opened with a plurality of air inlets along an axial direction.

9. The reaction chamber as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pipe portion comprises an air-extracting pipe member, and the air-extracting pipe member has a plurality of air-extracting holes along an axial direction.

10. The reaction chamber of claim 6, wherein a ferrule is disposed on an inner wall of the first furnace tube, and the tube is supported by the ferrule in the second chamber.

11. The reaction chamber of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber is a reaction chamber of a PECVD apparatus, and the first furnace tube is grounded through a series resistor.

12. The reaction chamber of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber has a double-tube structure, and further comprising a second tube having a third cavity penetrating in the axial direction, the second tube being received in the first cavity, and the first tube being received in the third cavity.

13. Furnace tube apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a reaction chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The furnace tube apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a graphite boat that can be pushed into or out of the first furnace tube, wherein insulation is disposed at boat feet of the graphite boat.

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