Method and Systems for Characterization and Production of High Quality Silicon
AssigneeGiga Industries, Inc.
InventorsDavid C. Spencer, Jimmie D. Walter, Friedrich H. Doerbeck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Computer controlled quality control methods for manufacturing high purity polycrystalline granules are introduced. Polycrystalline silicon granules are sampled and converted into single crystal specimen in computer controlled system, eliminating the need of human operator in controlling the processing parameters. Single crystal silicon test samples, then characterized by FTIR and other standard analysis, are therefore more representative of the starting granular silicon.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A Silicon pebble converter, comprising:
- a quartz process tube;
- a plunger located within a lower section of the quartz process tube for supporting Silicon pebbles;
- a Silicon pedestal located within an upper section of the quartz tube above the Silicon pebbles;
- a radio-frequency (RF) coil encircling the quartz process tube, the RF coil configured to heat the Silicon pebbles within the quartz process tube;
- and
- a moveable RF-heated susceptor configured to pre-heat the Silicon pedestal, the RF-heated susceptor partially surrounding the quartz tube in a first position adjacent to the RF coil, the RF-heated susceptor heated by radiation from the RF coil in the first position, the RF-heated susceptor configured to move to second position at a distance away from the quartz process tube and the RF coil when the pedestal has been pre-heated to a desired temperature.
The Silicon pebble converter of claim 1, further comprising:
- an upper mount coupling the Silicon pedestal to an upper shaft that permits vertical and rotational movement of Silicon pedestal;
- and
- a lower mount coupling the plunger to a lower shaft that permits vertical and rotational movement of the plunger.
A method for converting Silicon pebbles into a crystal Silicon sample, comprising:
- feeding Silicon pebbles onto a pedestal in a quartz process tube;
- positioning a Silicon pedestal in the quartz process tube above the Silicon pebbles so that a bottom of the Silicon pedestal is adjacent to a radio-frequency (RF) coil;
- positioning an RF-heated susceptor above the RF coil and partially surrounding the quartz tube in a first position adjacent to the Silicon pedestal;
- pre-heating the Silicon pedestal using the RF coil and the RF-heated susceptor heated by radiation from the RF coil;
- and
- when the Silicon pedestal is heated to a desired temperature, moving the RF-heated susceptor to second position at a distance away from the quartz process tube and the RF coil.
A system for converting poly-Silicon material into a single crystal material, comprising:
- a seed chuck located within a lower section of a quartz process tube, configured to support single crystal silicon seeds;
- a lower mount coupling the seed chuck to a lower shaft that permits vertical and rotational movement of the seed chuck;
- a Silicon pedestal located within an upper section of the quartz tube above the Silicon pebbles;
- an upper mount coupling the Silicon pedestal to an upper shaft that permits vertical and rotational movement of Silicon pedestal;
- a radio-frequency (RF) coil encircling the quartz process tube, the RF coil configured to heat the Silicon pebbles within the quartz process tube;
- a carriage coupled to the quartz process tube;
- and
- a moveable RF-heated susceptor configured to pre-heat the Silicon pedestal, the RF-heated susceptor partially surrounding the quartz tube in a first position adjacent to the RF coil, the RF-heated susceptor heated by radiation from the RF coil in the first position, the RF-heated susceptor configured to move to second position at a distance away from the quartz process tube and the RF coil when the pedestal has been pre-heated to a desired temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.