Induction heater system for a fluidized bed reactor
AssigneeCorner Star Limited
InventorsVivek Tomar, Puneet Gupta, Satish Bhusarapu
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Abstract
A system for the production of a polycrystalline silicon product is disclosed. The system includes a reaction chamber, a susceptor, an induction unit, and a plurality of energy sources. The reaction chamber has a reactor wall, and the susceptor encircles the reactor wall. The induction heater surrounds the susceptor, and has multiple induction coils for producing heat in the susceptor. The coils are grouped into a plurality of zones. The plurality of energy sources supply electric current to the coils. Each energy source is connected with the coils of at least one zone.
Claims20
A system for producing a polycrystalline silicon product, the system comprising:
- a fluidized bed reactor comprising:
- a reaction chamber having a reactor wall;
- a distributor having a plurality of openings connected with one or more sources of gas for supplying gas to the reaction chamber;
- a susceptor encircling the reactor wall;
- a withdrawal tube to remove granular polycrystalline silicon product from the reaction chamber;
- and
- an induction unit surrounding the susceptor, the induction unit having multiple induction coils for producing heat in the susceptor, the coils grouped into a plurality of zones;
- and
- a plurality of energy sources for supplying an electric current to the coils, each energy source connected with the coils of at least one zone, the energy sources being independently controllable to adjust an electric current supplied from each energy source to the coils connected to the energy source, the energy sources being independently controlled to reduce hotspots within the reactor wall of the fluidized bed reactor.
A system for producing a polycrystalline silicon product, the system comprising:
- a fluidized bed reactor comprising:
- a reaction chamber having a reactor wall;
- a distributor having a plurality of openings connected with one or more sources of gas for supplying gas to the reaction chamber;
- a susceptor encircling the reactor wall;
- and
- an induction unit surrounding the susceptor, the induction unit having multiple induction coils for producing heat in the susceptor, the coils grouped into a plurality of zones, the coils having passages therethrough for circulating deionized water to cool the coils;
- and
- a plurality of energy sources for supplying an electric current to the coils, each energy source connected with the coils of at least one zone, the energy sources being independently controllable to adjust an electric current supplied from each energy source to the coils connected to the energy source, the energy sources being independently controlled to reduce hotspots within the reactor wall of the fluidized bed reactor.
A method for producing a polycrystalline silicon product in a fluidized bed reactor having multiple induction coils grouped into multiple zones and a plurality of energy sources and a susceptor, each of the plurality of energy sources connected with the coils of at least one zone, the method comprising:
- supplying an inlet gas comprising a thermally decomposable compound into a reaction chamber of the fluidized bed reactor, the reaction chamber having a reactor wall;
- depositing silicon from the thermally decomposable compound onto fluidized silicon seed particles or granular polycrystalline silicon;
- supplying an electric current from each energy source to the coils of at least one zone to create an electromagnetic field about the coils;
- independently controlling each energy source to adjust the supply of electric current from each energy source to the coils connected to the energy source, the energy sources being independently controlled to reduce hotspots within the reactor wall of the fluidized bed reactor;
- producing eddy currents in the susceptor;
- and
- generating heat in the susceptor.
A system for producing a polycrystalline silicon product, the system comprising:
- a fluidized bed reactor comprising:
- a reaction chamber having a reactor wall;
- a distributor having a plurality of openings connected with one or more sources of gas for supplying gas to the reaction chamber;
- a susceptor encircling the reactor wall;
- a cap having an outlet for evacuation of exhaust gas from the reaction chamber;
- and
- an induction unit surrounding the susceptor, the induction unit having multiple induction coils for producing heat in the susceptor, the coils grouped into a plurality of zones;
- and
- a plurality of energy sources for supplying an electric current to the coils, each energy source connected with the coils of at least one zone, the energy sources being independently controllable to adjust an electric current supplied from each energy source to the coils connected to the energy source, the energy sources being independently controlled to reduce hotspots within the reactor wall of the fluidized bed reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.