US 4,041,278 AGranted

Heating apparatus for temperature gradient zone melting

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorJohn K. Boah

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Abstract

An apparatus for practicing temperature gradient zone melting includes a transparent tubular quartz glass work chamber for receiving a body of semiconductor material to be processed. An infrared radiation source is optically coupled to the interior of the chamber through a wall of the chamber for irradiating one surface of the semiconductor body. A metallic cooling block is placed in direct heat conductive engagement with the exterior of the tubular work chamber opposite to the infrared source to remove heat from the surface of the body opposite said one surface, thus making the temperature gradient set up in the body more uniform and unidirectional. The semiconductor body is supported in the chamber by support means making minimal thermal contact with the surface of the body opposite the said one surface. The chamber may be provided with closure means so that a closed atmosphere can be established therein.

Claims10

Dependent claims

Apparatus for practicing temperature gradient zone melting comprising:

a tubular quartz glass member defining a work chamber for receiving a body of semiconductor material to be processed, said tubular member having top, bottom and side walls;
an infrared radiation source optically coupled to the interior of said chamber through said top wall of said tubular member for irradiating the body of semiconductor material with radiation which is widely dispersed so as to evenly illuminate a substantial portion of said work chamber, said radiation source comprising a plurality of generally parallel elongated infrared lamps in a planar array;
a semiconductor support means in said chamber and carried by the bottom wall of said tubular member for supporting the semiconductor body with one surface thereof facing and generally parallel to said planar array, said support means making only minimal thermal contact with a surface of the semiconductor body opposite said one surface;
and
a metallic cooling block in direct heat conductive engagement with the exterior of the bottom wall of said tubular member.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.