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US 2015/0092041 A1Published application
Method of automatically measuring seed melt back of crystalline material
AssigneeGTAT Corporation
InventorJohn T. Mac Donald
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for measuring a melt back of a seed in a boule are provided. The method includes lifting a boule once it has been produced using an actuating device onto a support table to automatically manipulate the boule from a furnace to the support table. The melt back of the seed is then automatically measured using a vision system that is installed on an imaging device disposed below the boule.
Claims21
A method of measuring a melt back of a seed, the method comprising:
- lifting a boule with an actuating device onto a support table to automatically manipulate the boule from a furnace to the support table;
- and
- automatically measuring the melt back of the seed within a boule using a vision system installed on an imaging device disposed below a bottom of boule.
An apparatus that measures a melt back within a boule, the apparatus comprising:
- an actuating device that automatically lifts a boule from a crucible, once the boule is produced, onto a support table;
- and
- a vision system installed on an imaging device disposed below the boule that automatically measures the melt back of a seed within the boule.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.