Patent classifications
C30B15/14
HEAT SHIELD DEVICE AND SMELTING FURNACE
Disclosed are a heat shield device and a smelting furnace. The heat shield device comprises a heat shield unit and a heat insulation unit. The heat shield unit comprises a shield bottom provided with a through hole, and a shield wall comprising a first layer plate, a second layer plate and a lateral plate. One side of the lateral plate, the first layer plate and the second layer plate enclose the through hole; and the other side of the lateral plate, the first layer plate, the second layer plate and the shield wall enclose an accommodation cavity. The heat insulation unit comprises a heat insulation part disposed at the other side of the lateral plate and a heat preservation part. The heat shield device of the present invention can increase a temperature gradient, thereby facilitating rapid formation of silicon crystal bar and improving production efficiency of the silicon crystal bar.
CRYSTAL PULLING SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING MONOCRYSTALLINE INGOTS WITH REDUCED EDGE BAND DEFECTS
A crystal pulling system for growing a monocrystalline ingot from a melt of semiconductor or solar-grade material includes a crucible for containing the melt of material, a pulling mechanism configured to pull the ingot from the melt along a pull axis, and a multi-stage heat exchanger defining a central passage for receiving the ingot as the ingot is pulled by the pulling mechanism. The heat exchanger defines a plurality of cooling zones arranged vertically along the pull axis of the crystal pulling system. The plurality of cooling zones includes two enhanced-rate cooling zones and a reduced-rate cooling zone disposed vertically between the two enhanced-rate cooling zones.
CRYSTAL PULLING SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING MONOCRYSTALLINE INGOTS WITH REDUCED EDGE BAND DEFECTS
A crystal pulling system for growing a monocrystalline ingot from a melt of semiconductor or solar-grade material includes a crucible for containing the melt of material, a pulling mechanism configured to pull the ingot from the melt along a pull axis, and a multi-stage heat exchanger defining a central passage for receiving the ingot as the ingot is pulled by the pulling mechanism. The heat exchanger defines a plurality of cooling zones arranged vertically along the pull axis of the crystal pulling system. The plurality of cooling zones includes two enhanced-rate cooling zones and a reduced-rate cooling zone disposed vertically between the two enhanced-rate cooling zones.
DEVICE FOR PULLING A SINGLE CRYSTAL OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL OUT OF A MELT USING THE CZ METHOD, AND METHOD USING THE DEVICE
An apparatus pulls a single crystal of semiconductor material by the Czochralski (CZ) method from a melt. The apparatus includes: a crucible that accommodates the melt; a resistance heater around the crucible; a camera system for observing a phase boundary between the melt and a growing single crystal, the camera system having an optical axis; a heat shield in frustoconical form with a narrowing diameter in a region at its lower end and arranged above the crucible and surrounding the growing single crystal; and an annular element, which is configured to capture particles, that projects inward from an inner side face of the heat shield and has an arrestor edge directed upward at an inner end of the annular element. The optical axis of the camera system runs between the arrestor edge and the growing single crystal. The annular element is releasably connected to the heat shield.
DEVICE FOR PULLING A SINGLE CRYSTAL OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL OUT OF A MELT USING THE CZ METHOD, AND METHOD USING THE DEVICE
An apparatus pulls a single crystal of semiconductor material by the Czochralski (CZ) method from a melt. The apparatus includes: a crucible that accommodates the melt; a resistance heater around the crucible; a camera system for observing a phase boundary between the melt and a growing single crystal, the camera system having an optical axis; a heat shield in frustoconical form with a narrowing diameter in a region at its lower end and arranged above the crucible and surrounding the growing single crystal; and an annular element, which is configured to capture particles, that projects inward from an inner side face of the heat shield and has an arrestor edge directed upward at an inner end of the annular element. The optical axis of the camera system runs between the arrestor edge and the growing single crystal. The annular element is releasably connected to the heat shield.
Method for controlling convection pattern of silicon melt, method for producing silicon single crystals, and device for pulling silicon single crystals
A convection pattern control method includes: heating a silicon melt in a quartz crucible using a heating portion; and applying a horizontal magnetic field to the silicon melt in the quartz crucible being rotated. In the heating of the silicon, the silicon melt is heated with the heating portion whose heating capacity differs on both sides across an imaginary line passing through a center axis of the quartz crucible and being in parallel to a central magnetic field line of the horizontal magnetic field when the quartz crucible is viewed from vertically above. In the applying of the horizontal magnetic field, the horizontal magnetic field of 0.2 tesla or more is applied to fix a direction of a convection flow in a single direction in a plane orthogonal to an application direction of the horizontal magnetic field in the silicon melt.
Method for controlling convection pattern of silicon melt, method for producing silicon single crystals, and device for pulling silicon single crystals
A convection pattern control method includes: heating a silicon melt in a quartz crucible using a heating portion; and applying a horizontal magnetic field to the silicon melt in the quartz crucible being rotated. In the heating of the silicon, the silicon melt is heated with the heating portion whose heating capacity differs on both sides across an imaginary line passing through a center axis of the quartz crucible and being in parallel to a central magnetic field line of the horizontal magnetic field when the quartz crucible is viewed from vertically above. In the applying of the horizontal magnetic field, the horizontal magnetic field of 0.2 tesla or more is applied to fix a direction of a convection flow in a single direction in a plane orthogonal to an application direction of the horizontal magnetic field in the silicon melt.
CONTINUOUS REPLENISHMENT CRYSTAL GROWTH
An apparatus for growing a crystal includes a growth chamber and a melt chamber thermally isolated from the growth chamber. The growth chamber includes: a growth crucible configured to contain a liquid melt; and a die located in the growth crucible, the die having a die opening and one or more capillaries extending from within the growth crucible toward the die opening. The melt chamber includes: a melt crucible configured to receive feedstock material; and at least one heating element positioned within the melt chamber relative to the melt crucible to melt the feedstock material within the melt crucible to form the liquid melt. The apparatus also includes at least one capillary conveyor in fluid communication with the melt crucible and the growth crucible to transport the liquid melt from the melt crucible to the growth crucible.
CONTINUOUS REPLENISHMENT CRYSTAL GROWTH
An apparatus for growing a crystal includes a growth chamber and a melt chamber thermally isolated from the growth chamber. The growth chamber includes: a growth crucible configured to contain a liquid melt; and a die located in the growth crucible, the die having a die opening and one or more capillaries extending from within the growth crucible toward the die opening. The melt chamber includes: a melt crucible configured to receive feedstock material; and at least one heating element positioned within the melt chamber relative to the melt crucible to melt the feedstock material within the melt crucible to form the liquid melt. The apparatus also includes at least one capillary conveyor in fluid communication with the melt crucible and the growth crucible to transport the liquid melt from the melt crucible to the growth crucible.
SINGLE CRYSTAL MANUFACTURING APPARATUS AND METHOD
A single crystal manufacturing apparatus to grow a single crystal upward from a seed crystal, the apparatus including an insulated space thermally insulated from a space outside the single crystal manufacturing apparatus, an induction heating coil placed outside the insulated space, a thermal insulation plate that divides the insulated space into a first space including a crystal growth region to grow the single crystal and a second space above the first space and includes a hole above the crystal growth region, a heating element that is placed in the second space and generates heat by induction heating using the induction heating coil to heat the inside of the insulated space, and a support shaft to vertically movably support the seed crystal from below.