A mono-crystalline silicon growth apparatus includes a furnace, a support base, a crucible, a heating module disposed outside of the crucible, and a heat adjusting module above the crucible. The heat adjusting module includes a diversion tube, a plurality of heat preservation sheets, and a hard shaft. The diversion tube includes a tube body and a carrying body connected to the tube body. The heat preservation sheets are sleeved around the tube body and are stacked and disposed on the carrying body. The hard shaft passes through the tube body and does not rotate. The hard shaft includes a water flow channel disposed therein and a clamping portion configured to clamp a seed crystal. Therefore, a fluid injected into the water flow channel takes away the heat near the clamping portion. A heat adjusting module and a hard shaft of the mono-crystalline silicon growth apparatus are provided.

A mono-crystalline silicon growth apparatus includes a furnace, a support base, a crucible, a heating module disposed outside of the crucible, and a heat adjusting module above the crucible. The heat adjusting module includes a diversion tube, a plurality of heat preservation sheets, and a hard shaft. The diversion tube includes a tube body and a carrying body connected to the tube body. The heat preservation sheets are sleeved around the tube body and are stacked and disposed on the carrying body. The hard shaft passes through the tube body and does not rotate. The hard shaft includes a water flow channel disposed therein and a clamping portion configured to clamp a seed crystal. Therefore, a fluid injected into the water flow channel takes away the heat near the clamping portion. A heat adjusting module and a hard shaft of the mono-crystalline silicon growth apparatus are provided.

A crystal growing system includes a rotating seed lift assembly to rotate and lift a seed crystal supported by a cable. The seed lift assembly includes a spool that rotates to wrap the cable around the spool, thus raising the cable. As the spool rotates, it moves in an axial direction to avoid displacing the cable in the axial direction. A leadscrew in a counterweight assembly is mechanically coupled to the spool via a coupling (e.g., a sprocket-and-chain coupling coupled to the spool spindle). As the spool rotates, the leadscrew thus rotates at a rate proportional to the spool's rate of rotation. A movable counterweight driven by the leadscrew is thus driven to move in a direction opposite the axial direction (e.g., opposite the movement of the spool). The counterweight assembly is thus configured to offset center-of-mass changes that would have otherwise been introduced by movement of the spool.

A crystal growing system includes a rotating seed lift assembly to rotate and lift a seed crystal supported by a cable. The seed lift assembly includes a spool that rotates to wrap the cable around the spool, thus raising the cable. As the spool rotates, it moves in an axial direction to avoid displacing the cable in the axial direction. A leadscrew in a counterweight assembly is mechanically coupled to the spool via a coupling (e.g., a sprocket-and-chain coupling coupled to the spool spindle). As the spool rotates, the leadscrew thus rotates at a rate proportional to the spool's rate of rotation. A movable counterweight driven by the leadscrew is thus driven to move in a direction opposite the axial direction (e.g., opposite the movement of the spool). The counterweight assembly is thus configured to offset center-of-mass changes that would have otherwise been introduced by movement of the spool.

A feed assembly supplies polysilicon to a growth chamber for growing a crystal ingot from a melt. An example system includes a housing having support rails for receiving one of a granular tray and a chunk tray and a feed material reservoir positioned above the support rails to selectively feed one of either the granular tray or the chunk tray. A valve mechanism and pulse vibrator are also disclosed.

A feed assembly supplies polysilicon to a growth chamber for growing a crystal ingot from a melt. An example system includes a housing having support rails for receiving one of a granular tray and a chunk tray and a feed material reservoir positioned above the support rails to selectively feed one of either the granular tray or the chunk tray. A valve mechanism and pulse vibrator are also disclosed.

Methods for forming single crystal silicon ingots in which plural sample rods are grown from the melt are disclosed. A parameter related to the impurity concentration of the melt or ingot is measured. In some embodiments, the sample rods each have a diameter less than the diameter of the product ingot.

Methods for forming single crystal silicon ingots in which plural sample rods are grown from the melt are disclosed. A parameter related to the impurity concentration of the melt or ingot is measured. In some embodiments, the sample rods each have a diameter less than the diameter of the product ingot.

A device for growing a flat single crystal from a seed in a crystallization solution. A support element has a support face; a blocking element comprising a blocking face, positioned at a predefined distance from the support face to block the growth of the single crystal in a direction perpendicular to the support face; a seed protection member, configured to protect the seed during a crystallization solution treatment phase and to free a growth zone positioned between the support face and the blocking face during a rotation of the support element; the blocking element comprises a holding member that cooperates with the protection member, the holding member being movable between a first position where it holds the protection member against the support face during the treatment phase and a second position where the holding member is separated from the protection member and participates in the formation of the blocking face.

A device for growing a flat single crystal from a seed in a crystallization solution. A support element has a support face; a blocking element comprising a blocking face, positioned at a predefined distance from the support face to block the growth of the single crystal in a direction perpendicular to the support face; a seed protection member, configured to protect the seed during a crystallization solution treatment phase and to free a growth zone positioned between the support face and the blocking face during a rotation of the support element; the blocking element comprises a holding member that cooperates with the protection member, the holding member being movable between a first position where it holds the protection member against the support face during the treatment phase and a second position where the holding member is separated from the protection member and participates in the formation of the blocking face.