Apparatus for zone regrowth of crystal ribbons
OwnerCarl E. Bleilinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for producing crystalline ribbons of a material from a "crucible-less" configuration of bodies of the material including possible deposition on a substrate. Means for capacitively coupling electromagnetic energy into a source body of material are provided to appropriately induce electrical current gradients in order to control and restrict the molten zone and supress net loss of the heat of fusion from the balance of the ribbon-like body. The melt zone is replenished from any direction with ribbon or a bulk source to sustain the shape and size of the growing ribbon-like body. The heat of crystallization is selectively removed by a heat sink from one end of the melt zone in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of pulling.
Claims21
An apparatus for forming a crystalline ribbon from a source body of material, comprising:
- means for supporting a film of material in a plane;
- heating means comprising generally planar electrodes parallel to the said plane for producing electrical currents in the material causing a planar film of material to melt along a zone in the source body,
- means for controllably removing heat from the melted planar film of material in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane to effect ribbon growth,
- means for causing relative motion in a direction substantially parallel to the film between the ribbon and the heating means;
- and
- means for replenishing the melted film.
An apparatus for forming a crystalline ribbon-like body from a substantially planar film of material, including a seed of monocrystalline material at one end of the body, comprising:
- means for supporting a film of material in a plane;
- heating means comprising primary heating means in the form of sheet electrodes parallel to the said plane for producing electrical currents in the material to heat a portion of the material to a temperature near its melting temperature without causing melting, and secondary heating means fixed with respect to the primary heating means for coupling energy into a relatively narrow portion of the film of material, thereby causing the material to melt along a relatively narrow region within the film;
- means for causing relative motion in a direction substantially parallel to the film between the film of material and the heating means;
- means for controllably removing heat from the melted planar film of material in a direction substantially perpendicular to the material;
- and
- means for replenishing the film.
An apparatus for forming a crystalline ribbon-like body from a substantially planar film of molten material, comprising:
- means for supporting a film of material in a plane;
- heating means comprising primary heating means in the form of sheet electrodes parallel to the said plane for producing electrical currents in the material to heat a portion of the material to a temperature near its melting temperature without causing melting, and secondary heating means for coupling energy into a relatively narrow portion of the film of material, thereby causing the material to melt along a relatively narrow region within the film;
- means for causing relative motion in a direction subatantially parrllel to the film between the ribbon-like body and the heating means;
- means for controllably removing heat from the melted planar film of material in a direction substantially perpendicular to the material, and
- means for replenishing the melted film comprising a source body of material adjacent the melt zone and means for moving the body of material toward the melt zone transverse to the planar film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.