Method of closing silicon tubular bodies
AssigneeDow Corning Corporation
InventorsDavid H. Sawyer, Joseph A. Henige, Alvin W. Rauchholz
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Abstract
There is described a method of closing ends of silicon tubular bodies in which the tube end to be closed is dipped into melt of silicon maintained at substantially the melting temperature of silicon until the end of the tube is heated to the melting point and then withdrawing the tube from the melt with melt temperature sufficiently low to cause freezing of molten silicon at tube end and at temperature and speed sufficient to cause decreasing diameter of the freezing silicon until the desired diameter reduction or closure is obtained and then breaking contact with the melt. Additionally, surface portions may be machined after withdrawal from the melt to allow connections to be made.
Claims5
A method for modifying the shape of the end of a silicon tubular body which comprises:
- (a) immersing the end of the tubular body into a silicon melt;
- (b) maintaining the melt at the melting temperature of silicon until a melt meniscus forms on the body above the melt surface, indicating the body has reached its melting temperature;
- (c) withdrawing the tubular body gradually from the melt while controlling the temperature to cause progressive freezing of the melt meniscus to the end of the tubular body as the tubular body is withdrawn;
- (d) adjusting the temperature and withdrawal rate to cause progressive diameter reduction of the frozen portion until the immersed end of the body is reduced to the desired extent;
- and
- (e) thereafter increasing the withdrawal rate to separate the body from the melt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.