Ingot puller apparatus including automated clamp
AssigneeGlobalWafers Co., Ltd.
InventorsYu-Chiao Wu, Ming-Hsien Lai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ingot puller apparatus includes a housing defining a growth chamber and a growth chamber outlet, an isolation valve having a first valve end connected to the growth chamber outlet and a second valve end, an ingot receiving vessel defining an ingot receiving chamber and a receiving chamber inlet at a receiving vessel end, a clamp including a clamp base connected to the second valve end. The clamp includes at least one clamping finger for releasably connecting the ingot receiving vessel end to the clamp base. The at least one clamping finger is pivotably connected to the clamp base to pivot relative to the clamp base and into engagement with the receiving vessel end to connect the receiving vessel end to the clamp base.
Claims20
An ingot puller apparatus for producing a single crystal semiconductor ingot, the ingot puller apparatus comprising:
- a housing defining a growth chamber and a growth chamber outlet;
- an isolation valve having a first valve end connected to the growth chamber outlet and an opposite second valve end;
- an ingot receiving vessel defining an ingot receiving chamber and a receiving chamber inlet at a receiving vessel end;
- and
- a clamp including a clamp base connected to the second valve end and at least one clamping finger for releasably connecting the ingot receiving vessel end to the clamp base, the at least one clamping finger being pivotably connected to the clamp base to pivot relative to the clamp base and into engagement with the receiving vessel end to connect the receiving vessel end to the clamp base.
A releasable clamp for releasably connecting an ingot receiving vessel of an ingot puller apparatus to an isolation valve, the releasable clamp comprising:
- a clamp base connectable with an end of the isolation valve;
- a clamp cover opposite the clamp base, the clamp cover defining an opening sized for receiving an end of the ingot receiving vessel;
- and
- at least one clamping finger for releasably connecting the ingot receiving vessel end to the clamp base, the at least one clamping finger being pivotably connected to the clamp base to pivot relative to the clamp base for engaging the receiving vessel end to connect the receiving vessel end to the clamp base.
An ingot puller apparatus for producing a single crystal semiconductor ingot, the ingot puller apparatus comprising:
- a housing defining a growth chamber and a growth chamber outlet;
- an isolation valve having a first valve end connected to the growth chamber outlet and an opposite second valve end;
- an ingot receiving vessel defining an ingot receiving chamber and a receiving chamber inlet at a receiving vessel end;
- and
- a clamp including a clamp base connected to the second valve end, at least one clamping finger pivotably connected to the clamp base, and at least one actuator controllable to cause movement of the clamp between a clamping position in which the at least one clamping finger is pivoted to an engaged position connecting the receiving vessel end to the clamp base, and a releasing position in which the at least one clamping finger is pivoted to an idle position and the receiving vessel end is releasable from the clamp base;
- and
- a controller connected to the at least one actuator to control the at least one actuator to cause movement of the clamp between the clamping and releasing positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.