Crystal pulling system and method for inhibiting precipitate build-up in exhaust flow path
AssigneeGlobalWafers Co., Ltd.
InventorsMauro Diodà, Marco D'Angella, Hariprasad Sreedharamurthy
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Abstract
A crystal pulling system for growing a monocrystalline ingot from a melt of semiconductor or solar-grade material includes a housing defining a growth chamber, a crucible disposed within the growth chamber containing the melt of semiconductor or solar-grade material, a vacuum pump for drawing exhaust gases out of the growth chamber, and a fluid-cooled exhaust tube connected between the growth chamber and the vacuum pump.
Claims21
A crystal pulling system for growing a monocrystalline ingot from a melt of semiconductor or solar-grade material, the system comprising:
- a housing defining a growth chamber;
- a crucible disposed within the growth chamber for containing the melt of semiconductor or solar-grade material;
- an exhaust tube connected to and extending outward from a sidewall of the housing and defining an exhaust flow path for discharging gaseous products from the growth chamber;
- a vacuum pump connected in fluid communication with the exhaust tube and configured to draw exhaust gases through the exhaust flow path;
- and
- a flow guide configured to direct exhaust gases from the growth chamber to the exhaust tube and to maintain exhaust gases at an elevated temperature prior to reaching the exhaust tube, wherein the flow guide has an inlet and an outlet and is positioned in a lower portion of the growth chamber proximate the exhaust tube such that the inlet is positioned below the crucible,
- a heater disposed radially outward from and extending around the crucible, wherein the inlet is positioned radially inward from the heater and the outlet is positioned proximate the exhaust tube,
- wherein the exhaust tube includes an inner wall, an outer wall, and a fluid passage defined between the inner wall and the outer wall, the fluid passage configured to receive fluid for cooling exhaust gases within the exhaust flow path.
A crystal pulling system for growing a monocrystalline ingot from a melt, the system comprising:
- a housing defining a growth chamber;
- a crucible disposed within the growth chamber for containing the melt;
- a vacuum pump configured to draw exhaust gases out of the growth chamber;
- a fluid-cooled exhaust tube connected in fluid communication between the growth chamber and the vacuum pump;
- a flow guide configured to direct exhaust gases from the growth chamber to the exhaust tube and to maintain exhaust gases at an elevated temperature prior to reaching the exhaust tube, wherein the flow guide has an inlet and an outlet and is positioned in a lower portion of the housing proximate the exhaust tube such that the inlet is positioned below the crucible;
- and
- a heater disposed radially outward from and extending around the crucible, wherein the inlet is positioned radially inward from the heater and the outlet is positioned proximate the exhaust tube.
A method of growing a monocrystalline ingot of semiconductor or solar-grade material in a crystal growing system including a housing defining a growth chamber and a crucible disposed within the growth chamber for containing a melt of semiconductor or solar-grade material, the crystal growing system also includes a heater disposed radially outward from and extending around the crucible, the method including:
- preparing the melt in the crucible;
- introducing an inert gas into the growth chamber;
- directing the inert gas through the growth chamber to remove gaseous products generated within the growth chamber;
- directing the gaseous products through a flow guide positioned in a lower portion of the housing proximate an exhaust tube such that an inlet of the flow guide is positioned below the crucible and radially inward from the heater and the outlet is positioned proximate an exhaust tube, wherein the flow guide maintains an elevated temperature of the gaseous product prior to reaching the exhaust tube;
- discharging the gaseous products through the exhaust tube connected to and extending outward from a sidewall of the housing;
- and
- cooling the gaseous products as the gaseous products flow through the exhaust tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.