COLD CRUCIBLE

Abstract

A cold crucible usable in the field of high-temperature production of monocrystalline materials. The cold crucible includes: a cold cage which has sectors made of a material having good electrical conductivity and in which a charge is melted, and a cooling device with heat transfer fluid, configured to cool each segment of the cold cage from the inside. The cold crucible is essentially such that it further includes at least one device for generating a static magnetic field, each generating device being housed inside one of the sectors of the cold crucible. Each static magnetic field thus generated having the effect of slowing down the electromagnetic stirring of the molten charge, such that it is possible to produce monocrystalline ingots of significantly larger diameter than the diameter of the seed initiating their growth.

Claims

1. A cold crucible comprising: a cage called cold cage comprising at least one sector made of material that is a conductor of electricity and into which a charge to be melted is to be introduced, and a cooling device involving a heat-transfer fluid, the cooling device being configured to cool each sector of the cold cage, wherein the cold crucible further comprises at least one device for generating an electromagnetic field, each generation device being housed inside at least one sector of the cold cage of the cold crucible.

2. The cold crucible according to claim 1, wherein the generation device is configured to generate a static magnetic field.

3. The cold crucible according to claim 1, wherein the generation device is configured to generate an electromagnetic field of sufficient density to be felt by the molten charge in the cold cage.

4. The cold crucible according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic field generated by the generation device is such that it has a density substantially greater than 0.02 T, at a distance substantially greater than 2 mm from one of the edges of the generation device oriented towards the inside of the cold cage.

5. The cold crucible according to claim 1, wherein the generation device is housed within said at least one sector so as to be located, by one of its edges oriented towards the inside of the cold cage, at a distance substantially less than 12 mm from the molten charge in the cold crucible.

6. The cold crucible according to claim 1, wherein the generation device is configured in the sector which houses it so as to be cooled by the cooling device of the cold crucible.

7. The cold crucible according to claim 1, wherein the generation device comprises at least one permanent magnet.

8. The cold crucible according to claim 6, wherein, with the generation device comprising at least one permanent magnet, the joint arrangement of each permanent magnet with the cooling device is configured to ensure that the permanent magnet is maintained at a temperature strictly less than the Curie temperature of the permanent magnet.

9. The cold crucible according to claim 7, wherein said at least one permanent magnet is made of a material having an electrical resistivity greater than that of the material constituting the sectors of the cold cage.

10. The cold crucible according to claim 1, wherein at least one generation device comprises a plurality of permanent magnets, the permanent magnets of each plurality being arranged together so as to generate, at least towards the inside of the cold cage, a more powerful static magnetic field than the static magnetic field generated by each permanent magnet taken apart.

11. The cold crucible according to claim 10, wherein the permanent magnets of each plurality are arranged together in a configuration called Halbach configuration.

12. The cold crucible according to claim 13, wherein the cold crucible further comprises a device for fastening and holding the sectors together, said device being configured so that the sectors fastened and held form at least part of the cold cage.

13. The cold crucible according to claim 15, wherein a support portion of the generation is configured to support a plurality of permanent magnets and to form with the inner walls of its housing in the sector a circulation corridor for the heat-transfer fluid of the cooling device.

14. The cold crucible according to claim 1, wherein each sector whose housing is free of a generation device houses at least one among: a ferrite-based material, a measurement probe or a device for modifying or analysing the molten charge.

15. The cold crucible according to claim 1, wherein the cold cage comprises several sectors and the sectors of which are arranged in one of the following ways: only two sectors opposite each other house a generation device; only three sectors arranged substantially in rotational symmetry of order 3 house a generation device; only four sectors arranged substantially in rotational symmetry of order 4 house a generation device; one sector out of two adjacent sectors houses a generation device; or each sector houses a generation device.

16. The cold crucible according to claim 3, wherein the electromagnetic field is of sufficient density to be felt at least in a thickness of the electromagnetic skin of the molten charge in the cold cage.

17. The cold crucible according to claim 1, wherein with the cold cage comprising several sectors, the sectors are removable from one another.

18. The cold crucible according to claim 1, wherein the generation device comprises a first portion configured to generate the electromagnetic field and a second portion, called support portion configured to support the first portion of the generation device and to cooperate closely with the housing of the generation device in said at least one sector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0045] The purposes, objects, as well as the features and advantages of the invention will emerge better from the detailed description of an embodiment of the latter which is illustrated by the following accompanying drawings wherein:

[0046] FIG. 1 schematically shows a perspective view of a cold crucible according to the prior art open in two, arranged together with an electromagnetic induction coil and comprising a charge from which a seed is gradually withdrawn to grow a monocrystal;

[0047] FIG. 2 schematically shows a front view in transparency of a sealed enclosure containing a cold crucible according to a prior art other than that illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the cold crucible according to the invention equipped with a cooling device;

[0049] FIG. 4 is a perspective and exploded view of the cold crucible and the cooling device illustrated in FIG. 3;

[0050] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a static magnetic field generating device according to the preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0051] FIG. 6 is a perspective view from below of a sector according to the preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0052] FIG. 7 is a perspective view in transparency of the sector illustrated in FIG. 6;

[0053] FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of an arrangement of permanent magnets in a Halbach configuration and the isomagnetic lines produced by this arrangement; and

[0054] FIGS. 9 and 10 are simulation results of a multi-physics model demonstrating the efficiency of the cold crucible according to the invention (FIG. 10) relative to that of a cold crucible according to the prior art (FIG. 9).

[0055] The drawings are given by way of example and are not limiting of the invention. They constitute schematic principle representations intended to facilitate the understanding of the invention and are not necessarily on the scale of practical applications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] “Less” and “greater” mean “less or equal” and “greater or equal”, respectively. Equality is excluded by the use of the terms “strictly less” and “strictly greater”. Also, expressions of the type “equal, less, greater” mean comparisons that can accommodate some tolerances, in particular according to the scale of the compared values and the measurement uncertainties. Values that are substantially equal, less or greater are within the scope of interpretation of the invention.

[0057] A parameter “substantially equal/greater/less than” a given value means that this parameter is equal/greater/less than the given value, to plus or minus 20%, or even 10%, close to this value. A parameter “substantially comprised between” two given values means that this parameter is at least equal to the smallest given value, plus or minus 20%, or even 10%, of this value, and at most equal to the greatest given value, plus or minus 20%, or even 10%, of this value.

[0058] It is specified that in the context of the present invention, the term “on”, “surmounts”, “covers” or “underlying” or their equivalents do not necessarily mean “in contact with”.

[0059] “Arranged in conjunction with” means the functional relationship of two structural elements to each other where at least one is arranged according to the other element. In particular, one of the elements can be arranged according to the dimensions and shapes of the other element and/or according to a particular disposition defined in relation to an implantation of the other element, to perform together a particular function. These terms therefore aim at covering a multitude of relative arrangements of two structural elements relative to each other, a multitude that it would necessarily be futile to want to detail exhaustively.

[0060] An element based on a material A means an element comprising this material A and possibly other materials.

“Electromagnetic field” means a field represented by the set ({right arrow over (E)},{right arrow over (B)}), where {right arrow over (E)} is the electric field and {right arrow over (B)} is the magnetic field, such that a particle with charge q and speed vector {right arrow over (v)} undergoes a force which is expressed by:

{right arrow over (F)}=q({right arrow over (E)}+[{right arrow over (v)}{circumflex over ( )}{right arrow over (B)}]|)

[0061] The definition of an electromagnetic field here comprises that of a magnetic field, and a fortiori that of a static magnetic field, which constitute particular cases of an electromagnetic field.

[0062] Halbach configuration means a special arrangement of permanent magnets that increase the magnetic field on one side of the arrangement while almost cancelling the field on the other side.

[0063] A material that is a good conductor of electricity means a material whose electrical resistivity is substantially less than 6.Math.10.sup.−8 ohm.Math.m, preferably substantially less than 2.Math.10.sup.−8 ohm.Math.m.

[0064] As established by the inventors of the present invention, when using a conventional cold crucible for producing materials from a molten charge 20, instabilities occur in the molten charge 20. These instabilities are the consequence of intense stirring due to the Lorentz force which can have drastic consequences on the material produced. As will become apparent upon reading the detailed description which follows, the invention provides a cold crucible adapted to mitigate the aforementioned instabilities in the molten charge and for removing their consequences, in particular in terms of size limitation, on the material produced.

[0065] For this purpose, the invention more particularly provides a cold crucible 1, as for example illustrated in FIG. 3, which, unlike a conventional cold crucible, further comprises a device 12 for generating an electromagnetic field, preferably a device 12 for generating a static magnetic field, housed within at least one sector 100 of the cold cage 10 of the cold crucible 1.

[0066] A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

[0067] The cold crucible 1 illustrated in FIG. 3 comprises a cold cage 10 of substantially cylindrical shape delimiting an inner space intended to receive a charge to be melted. The cold cage 10 more particularly consists of at least a plurality of sectors 100. In a known manner, the sectors 100 are not in electrical conduction with each other through at least part of their longitudinal edges. On this portion, an air gap can be formed between two adjacent sectors. Alternatively, each slot between two adjacent sectors can be filled with a magnetic insert. Such an insert can more particularly be made of a soft magnetic composite material.

[0068] Each sector 100 of the cold crucible 1 illustrated in FIG. 3 is fastened by a base 130, acting as a fastening and holding device 13 of the sectors 100. More particularly, the device 13 allows to fasten the sectors 100 on a cooling device 11 and allows to maintain the sectors 100 in a specific position relative to each other on the cooling device 11. Thus fastened and held, the sectors 100 form the main portion of the cold cage 11. Alternatively, the segments can share together a same base 130 on which they would be fastened and held, the base being in turn fastened to the cooling device 11.

[0069] The cold crucible 1 illustrated in FIG. 3 therefore comprises a cooling device 11 of the heat-transfer fluid type, for example water. Such a cooling device 11 may be as known from the prior art. The cold crucible 1 according to the invention may therefore not require the development or even the adaptation of known cooling devices 11 which can therefore advantageously be used as is.

[0070] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the cooling device 11 can comprise two portions. A first portion (at the bottom of FIG. 4) through which the heat-transfer fluid is introduced into, then extracted from, a second portion of the cooling device 11 defining one or more circulation circuits passing in part inside the sectors 100 to cool them.

[0071] A seal 14, here in the shape of a cylinder head gasket, may be disposed between the second portion of the cooling device 11 and each base 130, so as to ensure a sealing between these parts. As an alternative, the sectors may extend by their base 130 through an inlet and an outlet of the heat-transfer fluid each projecting from the flat surface of the base 130 and each being intended to be inserted into corresponding bores of the cooling device or an intermediate portion (not shown) between the cooling device and all the sectors 100. The sealing between each sector 100 and the cooling device 11 can then be achieved by one or more O-rings distributed along the projections of inlet and outlet of the heat-transfer fluid.

[0072] In FIG. 4, a partially exploded view of the cold cage 10 is also shown. The sectors 100 are fastened together by their base 130. More particularly, one of the sectors 100 is illustrated in an exploded view. Thus it appears that each sector 100 can include a housing 101 within which the generation device 12 is housed.

[0073] More particularly, the housing 101 can be closed, preferably by its side opposite the inner space of the cold cage 10, by a plate 102, made of brass or copper, fastened, preferably by welding, so as to be in electrical conduction with the other walls defining the housing 101. Such a design may be the consequence of a recess of a sector of a conventional cold crucible in order to form the housing 101 therein and to be able to house the generation device 12 therein. A conventional cold crucible indeed only comprises a portion of the heat-transfer fluid circulation channel intended to allow its cooling; it is therefore a priori not allowed to house any device therein, here a generation 12 device, at least not without affecting the cooling of the sector. As an alternative, each sector 100 may have been designed so as to have its own housing 101 intended to receive a generation device 12.

[0074] The generation device 12 as illustrated in FIG. 4 is more particularly represented in FIG. 5. This figure illustrates in particular the fact that, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the generation device 12 essentially comprises two portions 12a and 12b. A first portion 12a is configured to generate the static magnetic field. A second portion, called the support portion 12b, is configured to support the first portion 12a of the generation device 12. More particularly, the support portion 12b comprises a substantially longitudinal plate from which two support elements extend. The first portion 12a of the generation device is fastened and held between the two holding elements of the support portion 12b. The two holding elements are further configured so as to reserve a portion of the heat-transfer fluid circulation circuit in the sector 100, and more particularly in the space of the housing 101 unoccupied by the generation device 12, around the first portion 12a of the generation device 12. Thus, a first one of the two holding elements (the lower one in FIG. 5) constitutes a type of central island on either side of which the heat-transfer fluid is intended to flow in opposite directions; the second one of the two holding elements (the one at the top of FIG. 5) forms the interior of a meander in the circulation circuit.

[0075] A perspective bottom view of one of the sectors 100 illustrated in FIG. 3 is illustrated in FIG. 6. It illustrates that the housing 101 is open by its base 130. A series of through bores and/or material setbacks may be provided in extensions of the base 130 for fastening to bases of adjacent sectors and/or for fastening to the cooling device 11 through the cylinder head gasket 14. More particularly, the material setbacks of two segments 100 adjacent to each other may be intended to cooperate together for the purpose of fastening these segments together. It is also illustrated in FIG. 6 that the generation device 12 is housed tightly within the housing 101. In particular, the second portion 12b comprises a longitudinal plate configured to preferably cover the entire inner surface of the housing 101 which is oriented towards the inner space of the cold cage 10; and the surface of the first portion 12a of the generation device 12 is bearing, or at least in contact, with the inner surface of the housing 101 which is oriented towards the inner space of the cold cage 10. In this way, any movement of the generation device 12 in its housing 101 is avoided, which is therefore held stationary therein. Thus, it also appears that the assembly formed of the sector 100 and of the generation device 12 suitably placed in the sector 100 defines the aforementioned U-shaped portion of the circulation circuit opening out through the base 130 of the sector 100. It is noted that, in this configuration, the first portion 12a of the generation device 12, configured to generate the static magnetic field, is located as close as possible to the inner space of the cold cage 10. More particularly, only the thickness of the longitudinal wall of the sector 100 which is oriented towards the inner space of the cold cage 10 separates the first portion 12a of the generation device 12 and the inner space of the cold cage 10. The thickness of this wall is for example comprised between 0.5 and 2 mm, preferably comprised between 0.7 and 1.5 mm.

[0076] It will be understood that the generation device 12 is thus more particularly housed within its sector 100 so as to be located, by its edge oriented towards the inside of the cold cage 10, at a distance substantially less than 12 mm, preferably substantially less than 9 mm, and even more preferably substantially less than 6 mm, from the molten charge 20 in the cold crucible 1.

[0077] Furthermore, it appears that, by construction, the generation device 12 is configured so as to be cooled by the cooling device 11 already in charge of cooling the sector 100 within which the generation device 12 is housed.

[0078] The first portion 12a of the generation device 12 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 7.

[0079] As illustrated, the first portion 12a of the generation device 12 comprises, without limitation, a plurality of nine permanent magnets 120. Therefore, it is understood that the cooling device 11 is preferably configured and/or parameterised to guarantee maintaining each permanent magnet at a temperature strictly below the Curie temperature of this magnet; otherwise, the magnetisation of the permanent magnet would be lost.

[0080] Each permanent magnet may have a substantially cubic geometry, the ridges of which are for example substantially equal to 2 cm. Of course, the geometry and the dimensions of each permanent magnet must be adapted to the dimensions of the housing 101, and more generally of the sector 100. Each permanent magnet 120 can more particularly be made from a neodymium/iron/boron alloy. Such an alloy has an electrical resistivity greater, and more particularly at least twice greater, than that of the copper constituting the sectors 100 of the cold cage 10. The permanent magnets 120 are aligned with each other and kept aligned by and between the two elements for holding the support portion 12b of the generation device 12. This alignment is more particularly such that the permanent magnets 120 are arranged together in a configuration called Halbach configuration. Such a configuration is known to allow, as illustrated in FIG. 8, to generate, in a direction perpendicular to the alignment, a more powerful static magnetic field than in another direction perpendicular to the alignment.

[0081] The arrangement of the alignment on the support portion correlates with the expected disposition of the generation device 12 in the housing 101 of its sector. More particularly, the generation device 12 is disposed in its housing 101 so that the side by which the alignment of the permanent magnets generates a more powerful static magnetic field is located directly facing, and preferably in contact with, the longitudinal wall of the sector 100 which is oriented towards the inner space of the cold cage 10.

[0082] With permanent magnets such as those introduced above as an example, the magnetic field generated by the Halbach alignment has a maximum density at 2 mm substantially equal to 0.6 T and still has a maximum density at 12 mm substantially equal to 0.1 T.

[0083] It is therefore understood that, in particular according to this particular arrangement, the generation device 12 is configured to generate a static magnetic field of sufficient density to be felt by the molten charge 20 in the cold cage 10, and more particularly at least in a thickness of the electromagnetic skin 21 of the molten charge in the cold cage.

[0084] More particularly, the static magnetic field generated by the generation device 12 is such that it has a density substantially greater than 0.02 T, preferably substantially greater than 0.05 T, at a distance substantially greater than 2 mm from its edge oriented towards the inside of the cold cage 10.

[0085] As an alternative or in addition, the static magnetic field generated by the generation device 12 is such that it has a density substantially comprised between 0.07 and 0.8 T at a distance substantially comprised between 0.1 and 12 mm from its edge oriented towards the inside of the cold cage 10. Preferably, the static magnetic field generated by the generation device 12 is such that it has a density substantially comprised between 0.1 and 0.3 Tat a distance substantially comprised between 4 and 10 mm, from one of the edges of the generation device oriented towards the inside of the cold cage 10.

[0086] A multi-physical digital model has been developed which allows to show the efficiency of the cold crucible according to the invention. FIG. 10 shows that the use of the permanent magnets 120 in the sectors 100 significantly modifies the flow of the molten charge 20 (in the simulation, the material is brought to a temperature substantially equal to 1690° C.) in the cold crucible 1. This modification results in an intense braking of the stirring speeds in the areas of the molten charge 20 closest to the cold crucible 1, but also by a reversal of the stirring vortices, the latter adopting a direction of rotation more favourable to the growth of a monocrystal from a seed 23 than in a conventional cold crucible (FIG. 9).

[0087] The cold crucible according to the invention therefore allows on the one hand to slow down the stirring which would be observed in a conventional cold crucible, on the other hand to reverse the direction of recirculation of the vortices induced in the molten charge 20.

[0088] The use of a “magnetic” cold crucible according to the invention allows, in particular by synergy of the two technical effects set out above, to promote the growth of monocrystals of larger size than a conventional cold crucible. More particularly, the use of a “magnetic” cold crucible according to the invention allows to promote the growth of monocrystals of larger diameter than the diameter of the seed initiating growth and of better quality than that obtained by the techniques using hot crucibles.

[0089] Another advantage related to the use of “magnetic” cold crucibles according to the invention appears when considering a charge made of different materials with differences in magnetic susceptibility between them. For example, such a charge can comprise ferromagnetic, paramagnetic or diamagnetic materials. A “magnetic” cold crucible according to the invention can then allow, due to the presence of a static magnetic field gradient extending into the molten charge 20, a selective sorting of these materials.

[0090] Other advantages can be achieved through the use of a cold crucible according to the invention, in particular by integration inside sectors whose housings are not occupied by generation devices 12 and/or allow to house at least one of: a ferrite-based material, a measurement probe or a device allowing to modify or analyse the molten charge. The device allowing to modify or analyse the molten charge may in particular allow to modify or analyse at least one property of the molten charge, such as the flow of the charge. In a non-limiting manner, this device can comprise at least one of a device for generating an electromagnetic field, preferably a permanent magnet, a ferrite, an ultrasonic transducer and a piezoelectric device. The flow of the charge can in particular be slowed down, for example by an electromagnetic field, and/or its stirring can be accentuated, for example by ultrasound.

[0091] Other advantages can also be achieved through the use of a cold crucible according to the invention, in particular by the arrangement therebetween of the sectors 100 housing generation devices 12. The sectors 100 can indeed be arranged in one of the following ways: [0092] only two sectors opposite each other house a generation device; [0093] only three sectors arranged substantially in rotational symmetry of order 3 house a generation device; [0094] only four sectors arranged substantially in rotational symmetry of order 4 house a generation device; [0095] one sector out of two adjacent sectors houses a generation device; and [0096] each sector houses a generation device.

[0097] In addition to the production of oxide monocrystals, such as sapphire, the cold crucible according to the invention allows to produce monocrystal silicon ingots of large dimensions, and in particular of large diameter, in particular intended for applications in the field of power electronics.

[0098] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and extends to all the embodiments covered by the claims.

[0099] In particular, the cold crucible 1 according to the invention can be designed by integrating the generation device 12 into a cold crucible of any existing type, including a cold crucible with a cylindrical cold cage, a cold crucible called pocket cold crucible, with or without removable sector(s), and a cold crucible called direct coil cold crucible.

[0100] A direct coil cold crucible consists of a single sector substantially forming a cylinder into which is injected the alternating current configured to induce, in the cold cage, an electromagnetic induction leading to the melting of the charge. Here, the sector therefore itself acts as the electrical coil which is usually arranged around the cold cage; hence its name “direct coil”. The sector can be made of copper or another metal. The cooling device of this type of crucible can be, as described above, of the type with a circulation channel for heat-transfer fluid. It is usually brazed directly on the outer surface of the cylinder that the single sector forms. Alternatively, the cylinder can be formed of a double wall housing the cooling device. The current injected into this cylinder produces induced currents directly in the charge and when the latter is liquid, it is contained in the cylinder. This technique is really interesting for large cold crucible sizes, such a crucible typically having a diameter of around 40 cm.

[0101] Thus, it is understood that, if the description of the invention given above with reference to the figures relates to cold crucibles comprising a plurality of sectors, the invention is not however limited to such cold crucibles, and extends to the cold crucible having a single sector. At least one generation device can then be housed within a protuberance of the cylinder or in the middle of the double wall, for example by extending between two meanders of the heat-transfer fluid circulation channel intended to allow cooling of the sector.

[0102] Moreover, each generation 12 device is not limited to its embodiment comprising at least one permanent magnet. Indeed, it is for example conceivable, although not preferred for reasons of electrical connection difficulties in particular, that the field is electromagnetic and can be generated by at least one electromagnet. Since the supply current of such an electromagnet can vary over time causing the magnetic field generated by this electromagnet to vary, it is understood that the electromagnetic field generated by a generation device 12 in a cold crucible according to the invention is not necessarily limited to a static magnetic field; in particular, the electromagnetic field generated by the generation device 12 can be a quasi-static magnetic field.