String stabilized ribbon growth
OwnerEmanuel M. Sachsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for stabilizing the edge positions of a ribbon drawn from a melt includes the use of wettable strings drawn in parallel up through the melt surface, the ribbon being grown between the strings. In one embodiment, the string stabilized edge technique is utilized for pulling of the ribbon at an angle to the melt surface. String introduction techniques are also described including several in which the strings are introduced to the melt through apertures in the bottom of the crucible utilized for containing the melt. Also described is a technique for minimizing the introduction of impurities from the melt into a ribbon by constantly flowing the melt under the growth interface in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the growing ribbon.
Claims26
A method of continuously growing crystalline or semicrystalline ribbonlike bodies from a melt of the same material wherein the ribbonlike body has a thin flat unobstructed elongate center section grown directly from the melt surface comprising;
- the steps of:
- drawing the ribbonlike body from the surface of the melt;
- and
- stabilizing the edge positions of the ribbonlike body with strings positioned along the edges thereof, which strings are frozen into the growing ribbon.
Apparatus for continuously growing crystalline or semicrystalline ribbonlike bodies from a melt of the same material wherein the ribbonlike body has a flat unobstructed elongate center section grown directly from the melt surface comprising:
- means for containing a melt;
- and,
- means including spaced apart strings for drawing the ribbonlike body from the surface of the melt, said strings serving to stabilize the edge positions of the ribbonlike body by forming the edges thereof, said strings being frozen into the growing ribbon.
Apparatus for minimizing the introduction of impurities from a melt into a ribbon grown from the melt at an interface which lies between the edges of the ribbon in the plane of the growing ribbon, comprising means including melt containing means for constantly flowing the melt at said interface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the ribbon grown, thereby to remove the impurities that build up by the segregation of impurities at the growth interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.