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US 2016/0258684 A1Published application
Purification of a metalloid by consumable electrode vacuum arc remelt process
AssigneeConsarc Corporation
InventorRaymond J. ROBERTS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A metalloid such as silicon in the form of a preheated solid electrode is purified by a CEVAR purification process by producing an ingot with controlled heating and cool down after the preheated electrode is melted in a CEVAR furnace system using a short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible.
Claims20
A CEVAR furnace system for producing a purified silicon ingot from a silicon electrode, the CEVAR furnace system comprising:
- a silicon electrode heating apparatus for preheating the silicon electrode to form a preheated silicon electrode;
- a gas-tight CEVAR furnace chamber;
- a short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible for containment of an arc zone from a CEVAR purification process melting the preheated silicon electrode, the short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible disposed in the gas-tight CEVAR furnace chamber;
- a preheated silicon electrode drive system for lowering the preheated silicon electrode within the short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible as a lower end of the preheated silicon electrode melts in the CEVAR purification process;
- an ingot heating apparatus disposed adjacent to the open bottom of the short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible through which the purified silicon ingot formed in the CEVAR purification process passes;
- an ingot heating controller for controlling the ingot heating apparatus to provide a temperature-controlled thermal environment for the purified silicon ingot passing through the ingot heating apparatus;
- and
- an ingot withdrawal drive system for alternatively withdrawing the purified silicon ingot from the short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible at a vertical growth rate of the purified silicon ingot during steady state of the CEVAR purification process or raising the short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible, the silicon electrode and the ingot heating apparatus at the vertical growth rate of the purified silicon ingot during steady state of the CEVAR purification process.
5 more elements
A CEVAR furnace system for producing a purified silicon ingot from a silicon electrode, the CEVAR furnace system comprising:
- a gas-tight CEVAR furnace chamber;
- a silicon electrode heating apparatus disposed within the gas-tight CEVAR furnace chamber for preheating the silicon electrode to form a preheated silicon electrode;
- a short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible for containment of an arc zone from a CEVAR purification process melting the preheated silicon electrode, the short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible disposed in the gas-tight CEVAR furnace chamber;
- a preheated silicon electrode drive system for lowering the preheated silicon electrode within the short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible as a lower end of the preheated silicon electrode melts in the CEVAR purification process;
- an ingot heating apparatus disposed adjacent to the open bottom of the short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible through which the purified silicon ingot formed in the CEVAR purification process passes;
- an ingot heating controller for controlling the ingot heating apparatus to provide a temperature-controlled thermal environment for the purified silicon ingot passing through the ingot heating apparatus;
- and
- an ingot withdrawal drive system for alternatively withdrawing the purified silicon ingot from the short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible at a vertical growth rate of the purified silicon ingot during a steady state of the CEVAR purification process or raising the short CEVAR open-bottomed crucible, the silicon electrode and the ingot heating apparatus at the vertical growth rate of the purified silicon ingot during the steady state of the CEVAR purification process.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.